Mr Tarelli, 30, had been drifting for 90 minutes off the coast at Waxham by the time he was found by Caister lifeboatmen in the first life-saving rescue on their new boat.
The IT engineer, from Taverham, was brought to shore at Gorleston lifeboat shed where he was checked over by paramedics. He said: “I was blowing a whistle but no one was about. At one stage I was becoming so anxious I even thought about trying to swim to shore.”
Even though he was wearing an expensive dry suit, he was shivering violently when he was picked up. Caister’s Dutch-built jet- propelled Valentijn-class lifeboat, launched in August after an £800,000 appeal, quickly reached Mr Tarelli after launching at 2.35pm.
Coxswain
Paul Williams said they cut minutes off the journey
compared to their former, slower Bernard Matthews boat.
“It was a good job he was wearing a red top because
we found him straightaway,” said Mr Williams.
Members of Mr Tarelli’s Sea Palling-based jet-ski
club, Beach Rock Leisure, had raised the alarm when he
was late getting back to shore.
Undaunted by his experience, Mr Tarelli said he would be
back to sea as soon as his Tiger Shark jet ski had been
mended.
Picture: Rob Allanson
Leo Tarelli foreground first
person to be rescued by Caister lifeboatmen in their new
lifeboat,
Crewmembers left to right Ivan Jones 2nd Coxswain,
Paul Williams Coxswain, Tommy Williams, Richard Thurlow
& Paul Garod.