Rescued surfer sets up fundraiser for new wetsuit instead of RNLI
A surfer rescued by the RNLI has been criticised after setting up a fundraising page for a new wetsuit.
Sam Brenchley was struck on the head by his board and dragged unconscious from the waves by RNLI lifeguards in Cornwall on March 31.
He launched an appeal for a new £350 wetsuit after it had to be cut from his body as he was brought to shore before being airlifted to hospital.
Ryan Nile, who was one of three rescuers who helped save him, said: 'This is very disheartening to see. A donation to the air ambulance is more suitable than a wetsuit!'
Some wondered if it was a late April Fool's joke, while others suggested he should buy a cheaper second-hand wetsuit from surf therapy charity The Wave Project's wetsuit recycling scheme instead.
Mr Brenchley was unconscious for a matter of minutes before he was spotted by an off-duty lifeguard and other surfers, who helped to bring him back to life at Fistral Beach in Newquay.
Emergency crews from the Newquay coastguard rescue team and the ambulance service helped Mr Brenchley before the Cornwall Air Ambulance transferred him to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
Following his ordeal, Mr Brenchley said in a Facebook post on April 2: 'On Monday I got hit by a surfboard and suffered a blackout in the water at Fistral and had to get airlifted off the beach. Unfortunately, for safety precautions they cut my wetsuit off me. Could you please donate to help me get a new suit and get back into water doing the thing I love.'
After the criticism he issued an update and added: 'I want to thank the air ambulance for their incredible service and to the people on the beach that found me and saved my life – to say I'm full of gratitude right now is an understatement.
'Thank you to the hospital for looking after me and treating me with so much care and love.
'To the people that have sent kind messages also, thank you for putting good energy my way while I heal.
'Surfing for me is a big part of my mental health stability and this suit allows me to go out everyday and spend time doing the thing I love. I just want to get back to that position when I have recovered, once again thank you for your help.'
A spokeswoman for Cornwall Air Ambulance said: 'Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to an incident at Fistral Beach in Newquay on March 31. We conveyed one patient to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for onward care.'
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