A mini adventure today! On the beach at Dawlish Warren where the waves were fierce, the sun bright, and the sharp wind made it barely tolerable. We had scrambled past the fifth groin when we saw some green things, one flapping on the next groin and another being taken in and out by the waves.
It soon became clear that it was kite related and I hurried to get a closer look and found that someone was trying to untangle it, and getting wet in the process. He managed to get it onto the sand but it was being blown in all directions and wanted to take him along for the ride. 
The two pieces were tangled together with a cobweb of line that wanted to weave around our legs so I helped to drag it up the beach. It fought back. The section I tried to control was about eighteen feet wide and I could distinguish it from a power kite by the air-filled sausage that wanted to render me horizontal.
Rescue man, being a lot stronger than me managed to locate the pully-outy thing to let the air out on his, which was bigger, then we restrained mine and I strangled it with its own lines. He hadn’t really worked out what sort of beast he’d subdued so I pointed a few miles across the estuary where a few kite surfers were still on the water out of Cockle Sands. We discussed what to do with it, he mentioned the words ‘salvage’ and ‘ebay’, I think he was joking, because he turned it round quickly when I said that I knew a tiny bit about the kiting community, because my daughter has power kites. I told him that I was fairly certain the owner could be found and hoped to God he was also in one piece.
Carrying our loads we headed back to the car park, deciding on the way that he would take it home for safekeeping. Because of his first reaction and knowing the kite’s value, part of me wanted to take it but he had got it out of the water so it didn’t feel right to take over. Instead I took his email address and said that I would do some detective work.
Back home I checked the internet forums, that I knew were out there, again because of my daughter, registered on a local site and posted a message to say it was found. Within an hour I got a reply from someone who knew the owner, a guy who had had to release his kit today while trying to help someone else who was in trouble. I’m really not surprised by that – it was very rough out there and the channel is known for its treacherous currents. Anyway the guy is okay and he will be reunited with his gear so all is well.
Lucid Gypsy 
My goodness. I was on the edge of my seat reading this. I’m glad there was a happy ending. So unlike me, you won’t have a problem when the month comes round on Scroob’s page for a sporting photo. i must find out from her if helming a boat counts as sport…
Now that was an adventure!
Good thing you made the first picture large in size. That’s my favorite!
Love that first photo, though I suspect it is not as warm as it looks.
Kite surfing sounds like fun. And the view in this photos, just amazing . The beach is so beautiful, calm, promising dreams that can come true…Have a blessed day!
On behalf of the South Devon kiting community: thankyou Gilly for your help in retrieving the ditched kites. It could have been any one of us helping that guy out and none of us want to lose our equipment.
@IslandTraveler – kite surfing is a huge amount of fun, but not without it’s dangers and frustrations. Training is essential though, but there are some good instructors in the region. Our website has more info for anyone that’s interested.
So pleased that it turned out well! And thanks for visiting me here!
Within an hour I got a reply from someone who knew the owner, a guy who had had to release his kit today while trying to help someone else who was in trouble. …
+
good to have those modern info technologies, isn’t it?
Those kites must have been gorgeous dancing in the skies!
I would never have thought of looking for an internet forum. Well done you! 🙂
Gilly, I know have the kites and will tackle the spaghetti ball of lines and kites tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help and foresight! The other guy has not yet contacted me or posted anywhere which is a bit strange! Have a great 2012!
Daredevil Gilly … a real adventurer. I was reading with my mouth open.
The danger of being airlifted was before you. I’m glad your weren’t taken
aay with those gusty winds and that it was returned to its’ owner.
Love the photo’s, too.
Good one,
Isadora
BTW – where is Dawlish Warren??
Hey Isadora this is Dawlish Warren,it’s 200 miles south west of London in Devon, the loveliest part of England!
http://www.google.com/search?q=dawlish+warren&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=BnQcT6yYFc-3hAe9i_H8Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CHkQsAQ&biw=1360&bih=677
thanks for this link!! i was wondering….”hmmmm where is this place with such a lovely name!” now i know!
wow, what a story!
and a happy ending, too. i like those 🙂
thanks for sharing
good work gilly, my son and his partner are kite surfers too, so i followed your story with my heart in my mouth …. sometimes in a strong nor-easter my son kites from Moruya Heads to Bingie where we live … i try not to think of all that ocean out there and just feel glad when he walks up from the beach dripping and smiling!
Oh wow thats amazing! You know I’m sure the main function of our kids is to make us worry! I hadn’t realised that the two pieces were two separate kites with different owners, anyway they are both claimed by their happy owners now which is great.
and here you were expecting a nice stroll and you wind up (sorry, bad pun, ha!) in string and real life drama!!! so glad it had a happy ending!!!
All’s well that ends well. I thought I was going to hear of the kite surfer being rescued from the sea far out from the Devon coast. So that’s OK then.
Weather looks sunny 🙂