By Mal Butler
A former Royal Marine Commando waded bravely into the sea to rescue a distressed man, while police officers stood by watching helplessly.
Terence Gorton-Hicks was walking along Shanklin beach, near the Salix Café, last Thursday at around 7.15am, with wife, Louise, and their two labradors, Chloe and Nellie, when he noticed a police car, along with several officers, who were standing by the edge of the water.
Terence, 62, who served with the Commandos for 10 years at the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and in Afghanistan, takes up the story, saying: “As I walked past I asked them what they were up to and one said there was a young lad who had run into the water, and they were trying to arrest him, but they were not allowed to follow him in because of operational procedures.
“I asked if it was a suicide attempt. The officer just shrugged his shoulders, but the person was fully-clothed and it was quite obvious it was. I said that I would go in after him and I gave the officer my keys to hold. He told me not to go in, but I said I had done nothing wrong and wasn’t under arrest and started to wade in.
“In the Commandos you’re taught to win hearts and minds and that’s what I tried to do. I waded in up to my waist and stopped about six feet from him, saying that I was not the police and started to chat calmly to him. I could see he was depressed; I have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) myself in the past.
“I asked him his name and he told me. Then I just said that whatever his problems, they wasn’t worth dying for. He was in his 20s and I could see he was scared. We chatted about a variety of things like family and other idle chatter. Then I asked if I could put my arm around him and he agreed, and with that we walked out together.
“As the police came over to us, I warned them that he was scared and depressed and asked them to treat him gently, which they did, as they handcuffed him and took him away.
“A police sergeant wasn’t happy with me and told me they couldn’t see his hands and he could have had a knife on him, but I just replied that I had been in the Commandos and was more than capable of disarming him. The poor lad was distraught. You see someone like that and you just want to help them, so I did. You find that when you have suffered PTSD and you help someone else, it also helps you.”
Terence, who is the Standard Bearer of the IW branch of the Royal Marines Association, visited Newport Police Station this week to get an update on the welfare of the young man, but was told he could not be updated. However, he said: “I understand he is alive and well.”
Mark Willams, branch secretary of the RMA, the Royal Marines charity, said: “Acts of selflessness such as this deserve to be recognised. When others are in danger, it takes extraordinary courage to put yourself at risk to help others. Terence’s actions undoubtedly helped ensure that a difficult and dangerous situation ended safely.”
The IW Observer contacted the police for comment, but a spokesman said he had no reference to this particular incident.
Isle of Wight Observer