Tourist seeks his saviours after Bembridge coastal slip

A tourist and his wife are seeking two heroic Islanders who helped save his life when a rock broke from under him. 

David and Karen Owen were holidaying on the Island in August when just four days into their trip he stood a rock which broke from under him near the Beach Hut Cafe and Crab and Lobster Inn on Bembridge’s coastline.

The childminding pair were shocked as Mr Owen fell, badly injuring his head as the tide was coming in.

Mrs Owen let out a shriek and was assisted by six members of the public including a female doctor who were visiting the cafe on Wednesday (August 15) at 11.30am.

Four of the heroes have been thanked by the couple but Mr Owen and his wife would really like to track down a couple in their early 60s or late 50s who had just moved back to the Island from France.

The male is described as having dark hair with glasses and the lady was blond – no further details about the couple are known but they were very helpful in keeping the 66-year-old awake.

Mr Owen said: “I stood on a small flat rock and asked my wife to take a photo. It wasn’t high or anything, and I slipped a little, then all of a sudden the rock broke.

“I can’t say much that would make up for what they did, but I would like to send them a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne. They were so good, they looked after my wife as well as me. And I had to wait three hours for the ambulance.

“The ambulance bloke said it was made of concrete, rather than rock so that’s why it broke.”

As the tide was coming in, Mr Owen had to be moved by the heroic band who came to his rescue, they then attended to his injury with ice and remained in contact with the emergency services and nearby life guards who also helped.

His injuries included a bleed on the brain and he was kept in St Mary’s Hospital overnight.

“It’s knocked me and my wife senseless, I’d like to contact these people just to show my gratitude. It’s easy to forget about and move on, but I more or less owe them my life,” said Mr Owen.

Mr Owen is still suffering from his injuries but is more concerned about the emotional damage done to his wife and hopes finding these saviours will help bring them both closure.

The couple were determined not to let the serious injury ruin their trip, of which they had a week left, before returning home to Ruislip.

Despite the accident, they love the Island and will not be put off from returning.

David Owen can be contacted by his saviours through Facebook at Facebook.com/david.owen.923