A TV star lawyer has told how he almost died when he was hit by two ‘freak waves’ while swimming on holiday on a paradise island.
Franklin Sinclair, who starred in ITV documentary The Briefs about criminal law in Manchester, said the terrifying accident on Cape Verde, off Western Africa, left him temporarily paralysed in the Atlantic Ocean.
The impact of the water forced the 54-year-old to the sea floor and he injured his spine – leaving him unable to move.
Two locals pulled him out of the water and he was rushed to a local hospital before being flown home for treatment.
Mr Sinclair, boss at Manchester law firm Tuckers, was swimming off the island of Boa Vista on the last day of his trip when the ordeal happened.
Speaking from his bed in Salford Royal Hospital, Mr Sinclair said: "The seas in there are very rough and there had been red flags out stopping us from going in the water. On the last day it was a yellow flag, so I was able to go for a swim.
"I was only up to my waist when two freak waves combined together. I hardly saw them before they hit me and sent me straight down underwater with incredible force.
"I smashed my head and torso onto the sand, face down.
"How I didn’t lose consciousness I don’t know. I couldn’t move a muscle, I just lay there in the water. I tried to shout but couldn’t speak, and shock gripped me. The next wave would have taken me back underwater and I would have died."
Following the accident, Mr Sinclair was placed on a stretcher, where he lay in a hotel hospital for 26 hours, before being flown to Santa Cruz hospital in Tenerife for scans and x-rays.
The tests revealed a bruised spinal cord and he was taken back to Manchester by air ambulance, paid for by his insurance.
He added: "I haven’t got much feeling anywhere but I can move my legs and feet now.
"The lumbar scan hasn’t come back yet, but the pain’s stopped and I should make a full recovery. At the time I thought I might not walk again – or get back on the golf course."
ITV1’s The Briefs followed lawyers from the Manchester firm – one of the region’s largest criminal legal aid practices – as they represented clients on cases ranging from drug dealing to blackmail and murder.
This is indeed a story of freaque waves! It clearly connotes a freaque wave incident that's a life and death issue, it is gratifying to read that Mr. Sinclair "cheats" death to be able to tell his frightening story in person as: "I was only up to my waist when two freak waves combined together. I hardly saw them before they hit me and sent me straight down underwater with incredible force."
Some observations here: It was in shallow water only up to his waist, he recognized there were two freaque waves "combined together, and he hardly saw them before the "incredible force" hit him. These are all true happenings before he was rescued. So there were two freaque waves came out of nowhere smashed him onto the sand face down before he realized what was happening. That were freaque waves without doubt! But we don't know anything about the possible hit beforehand, and we still don't know anything about it after the hit with the detailed eye-witness report! It just happened when it happened! The local authority can try to prevent more dange encounters by red flags, yellow flags. At this time there is not much science have to offer that can help in anyway!
No comments:
Post a Comment