A heroic skipper who saved the life of a teenage bravery finalist


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THE SKIPPER who rescued his best friend’s son after their boat capsized in 15ft waves has reached the final of a prestigious awards program honoring British heroes.

David Miller and the team of teens Jordan Coulter scrambled to survive after being thrown out of their fishing boat in rough seas off Portland Bill, and drifted about eight miles in a life raft emergency in October 2020.

While the two were in the water, David bellowed instructions as they clung to the capsized boat. Despite head injuries, David spent several minutes locating and detaching the liferaft while making sure Jordan was still afloat.

He has now reached the bottom four in the Act of Courage category at the 2021 Amplifon Awards For Brave Britons.

David was invited to a virtual awards show on Tuesday October 5th.

The event will be hosted by Rachel Burden, presenter of BBC1 TV Breakfast and Radio 5 Live, while Falklands War hero Simon Weston will be the guest of honor.

David and Jordan were fishing early last October morning and had decided to return ashore when conditions deteriorated off Portland Bill.

David said: “We were hit by a big wave and our boat, the Ocean Echo, capsized. I was stuck upside down in the wheelhouse. It was like in movies like the Titanic when the cabin quickly fills with water.

“I knew I had to go out, but my main thought was for Jordan. It was his first season on the job and he had only been going to sea for about six months.

David was initially embarrassed that his life jacket had inflated inside the boat’s wheelhouse and had to break free before he could escape.

Dorset Echo: The life raft and boat spotted in the water.  Image: Royal NavyThe boat and life raft spotted in the water. Image: Royal Navy

He said: “When we were going over I yelled at Jordan to hang on to the boat at all costs, but I wasn’t sure if he survived or if he was washed away by the waves of 10. 15 feet crashing into the side of the ship. ”

Jordan had managed to follow David’s orders and spent a terrifying 60 seconds holding on for life before seeing David emerge from under the boat. Despite a head injury, David was able to retrieve the liferaft and drag Jordan there.

David said: “When I got out I saw that Jordan had managed to hang on to the outboard motor, so it was a relief, but when I went to get the life raft the tide hit us. ‘had won, so I had no choice.

“I had to get back into the water. I told Jordan if anything happened to me he just had to hang on to the boat and then I jumped in.”

Jordan, who only a few weeks before had taken water safety training, said: “He kept telling me to ‘hold on’ and ‘don’t let go’. He saved my life and kept me calm. Every time there was a wave coming in he would tell me not to let go of the boat.

David added, “I was just in survival mode. My main thought was to keep Jordan alive ”,

Once in the life raft, they drifted about eight miles before catching the attention of Royal Navy HMS Westminster using several smoke bombs and flares. The Navy ship traveled five miles in 15 minutes to reach the pair.

David was transported to Dorset County Hospital by Coast Guard helicopter while Jordan was medically examined and taken ashore. Jordan said, “David saved my life. He didn’t care about him, he just wanted to make sure I was okay. He’s my hero. ”

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