Forgive the patronising tone in the subject box, but I broke my leg and ankle whilst out fishing 11 days ago, and have just returned from hospital following surgery. I was walking along the seashore rod in hand, and in spite of good boots, lost my foothold falling from the colossal height of 6-9 inches. The tide was rising, I fell on the waterline and I was virtually out of eyeshot of others on or near the beach. But I had my mobile and was quickly able to call the emergency services. I was picked up by boat which ferried me to the ambulance.

I know that some folk have mixed feelings about mobiles and fishing, but after what has happened to me I’d simply like to say- never go fishing without your mobile (you can always turn it off, and on if needed).

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cumbriafishingfestival.co.uk

Sorry to hear about your accident,hope you have a speedy recovery,
I was away fishing last week in an area with no mobile reception.and very rough terrain.after my incident erlier in the year I had to think hard about should I be going into the area alone.Luckily.I was able to arrange to fish the river with another angler coming downstream a few hours after me.and nothing happened to me.But better safe than sorry.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Hope that you are on the mend. It seems so incredible how easy it is to get into a load of sh1t. I always have my mobile, fully charged, inside a sealed waterproof bag. I also am pay as you go with the option to top up online. All I'll need is to be able to get a signal ..................birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

EPIRB baby, don't leave home without one! Get well soon (from another guy stuck at home having had foot surgery)

Same here,hope your on the mend real soon David

Neil

David, I hope you're doing well and wish you a speedy recovery.

I don't think there's anything patronizing about sharing this story. It's a great reminder that we're all responsible for our own safety and the best tool to get out of a bad situation is the one that allows you to reliably call for help.

Steve suggested an EPIRB would be another option, especially for areas where mobile phone coverage is limited. EPIRBs (over here at least) aren't really a consumer-oriented piece of gear, but there is the SPOT Personal Tracker alternative. I see these around a lot these days over here. Owners of GL-going sailboats, big water kayakers, offshore anglers etc. Are these available in the UK?

The advantage I can see in this type of device is that one touch of a button calls out the cavalry AND keeps them updated on your location by sending your GPS coordinates. Very handy in the event of either falling in to moving water or in case of an emergency on a boat.

But a great reminder to be careful out there and that the Boy Scout motto never goes out of style.

Grouse

Wishing you a speedy recovery. I always take the mobile, whether i get reception or not is another question!!!!

Hi David MS

Sorry to hear about you accident and hope you are making a full recovery. Whilst I take my mobile fishing I am often on my own in a no signal area.Having been a H&S officer I adopt the lone worker principle. Always tell someone were your going and what time you'll be back. I carry a scout whistle to raise an alarm and a foil thermal blanket which cost £2 and takes up as much room as an envelope. Know these measures my seem OTT but I'm galloping towards 70 and I often stumble and fall due to older legs.I like 3lb grayling's idea of having a fishing buddy just in case.

BK

Thanks everyone. Out of this we might get a collection of sensible advice about what to carry when fishing distant spots. Like the whistle. I've got one on one of a couple of lanyards. But was I carrying it? No. And the space blanket's good too. I think they're in the pound shop. GPS tracking is def the way to go.

Just got an email from a pal from which I've cut and pasted this;

'112 is a European emergency number. The relevant aspect is that it works on any network regardless of which one your phone is with. So even if you don't have a signal on, say Vodaphone, if there's one on say Orange or O2 then the emergency number will work. If you Google 112, you can find the coverage maps for all the different networks including coastal areas. Worth checking for the places you're fishing.'

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cumbriafishingfestival.co.uk

If no signal you can still call the emergency number
Hope your Get better soon!!


Cheers
Spencer