A KEEN carper has received a top award for his bravery after saving his best mate from drowning after he’d foolishly dived in to rescue his expensive Deeper fish-finder.
Harry Mills, a keen carper, saved his best mate Lyle Moore from drowning in a French river after losing his Deeper Pro device.
Harry recently collected a Testimonial Of Parchment from the Royal Humane Society for his selfless actions.
Lyle’s mother, Selina, nominated Harry for the award, which was presented to him by the Mayor of East Staffordshire, Simon Gaskin.
The Staffordshire pair were on a carp fishing holiday in Vendee, western France, last summer when the near fatal incident occurred.
Lyle got into serious difficulties after he’d foolishly dived in the water to rescue his Deeper Pro fish-finder.
Lyle, 23, from Yoxall, said: “The air temperature was about 30 degrees Celsius, so I thought the water would be quite warm.
“I couldn’t believe how cold it was when I swam out to get the fish-finder, which had snapped off the line on the cast, and even though it was about 150 yards away, I carried on swimming towards it.
“When I was a little over halfway, I turned back to Harry to joke I might need his help, because I was starting to feel a little funny.
“Around 20 seconds later, I felt my arms completely shut down, and a few seconds later my legs went, too. I was struggling to keep my head above the water,” he said.
Mail tackle tester Brian Gay shows the Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+. Click this image to read his report on the product.
Harry, 23, an engineer from Burton upon Trent, immediately dived in to help his friend, somehow getting him back to the bank. Lyle drifted in and out of consciousness until an ambulance team revived him.
Harry said: “It is certainly not worth the risk going into the water to rescue anything, no matter how expensive.”
Deeper details and reaction
Deeper Pro fish-finders, brought to the worldwide market by a Lithuanian tech company, retail at £209.99.
The clever sonar devices have won awards across the globe, including from Angler’s Mail, having changed the way in which many anglers fish.
Its sensor is a ball, that is attached to the end of the line and cast.
The angler can read various underwater info via the screen on his or her smartphone.
They do not have any safety warnings about not swimming after the product in the event of it snapping off the line.
In their manual, Deeper do state: “Always use sufficiently strong line and pole when casting the gadget.”
When Deeper heard of the story, they contacted Angler’s Mail immediately with their reaction.
A Deeper spokesman said: “First, we would give Lyle our best wishes after this frightening event, and to recognise the amazing bravery and heroism of his friend Harry.
“Our first priority is that every angler who uses a Deeper Sonar stays safe – your life is worth more than any device or gear.
“We’re reviewing our safety instructions to make sure they are as clear as possible, and would like to emphasise that you should never jump in to retrieve your Deeper.
“Enjoy your smart fishing, and please always put safety first.”
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