FAMILIES risked their lives to get a closer look at the monster waves hitting Portland during hurricane winds, coastguards said.

The Portland Bill Coastguard Rescue Team found hundreds of people had clambered over flood defences designed to keep them a safe distance back from 30-foot-high waves described as the roughest in 10 years at Chesil Cove.

They were shocked to find parents and their children among those strolling along the beach seemingly unaware that a wave could climb the beach and drag them into the stormy seas at any moment Coastguard and flood bailiff Bob Naerger said: “It was madness. One day somebody is going to lose their life down here.

“It is quite something to see down here and nobody wants to stop them looking at the waves but just be more responsible.”

Mr Naerger said he helped one girl aged five or six over the sea wall who told him she was ‘really scared’.

He added: “Parents don’t realise they are putting their lives at risk as I don’t think they’ve got a clue what the consequences could be.

“I don’t know what goes through their heads.”

A team of four coastguards warned people to stay behind the flood defences as waves threw pieces of wood and pebbles the size of tennis balls on to the beach and promenade.

Coastguard Nick Gould said: “All of a sudden you would get a rogue one and that could catch you out. You could be whipped off your feet and dragged down and then you are gone.”

Mr Gould said children were most at risk.

He added: “It was very careless behaviour because people with kids on the sea wall were letting them run around.

“You don’t need a big wave to wash a little kiddy away.

“There were people putting their kids over the floodgates and they need to be aware they are putting lives at risk.”

Nigel McColm, Portland Bill Coastguard station officer, branded the behaviour as ‘stupid’ in what he said was the ‘roughest sea at Chesil in 10 years’.

He said: “I liken it to playing football on the Dorchester bypass. If you get dragged into the sea you’ve got no chance of getting out.

“When those waves come up over the beach and it all drags back the pebbles you’ve got a hell of a drag going back with the pebbles.”

A coastguard spokesman said they recorded storm force 10 at Portland on Saturday and are expecting up to gale force 8 again this week.

HELICOPTER crewmen faced a ferocious storm with 60mph winds during the rescue of a ship’s chief engineer who later died.

The Portland Coastguard helicopter scrambled in a force 10 gale to help a man with breathing problems on board a tanker docked in Portland Harbour.

A 55-year-old Filipino man, the chief engineer of the 3,435-tonne liquid petroleum gas tanker Lady Sharna, was put on a stretcher and hauled up to the helicopter in atrocious conditions with winchman Pat Holder.

Despite the crew’s efforts, coastguards said the man later died in Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester.

The helicopter had to be launched from a sheltered position next to its hangar at Osprey Quay but still made it to the tanker within minutes.

Mr Holder was lowered on to the deck of the 97-metre ship to find the crewman in a life-threatening condition.

The distressed man had to be restrained with the help of fellow crew members before being winched away.

Due to a pulse rate of 160 to 165 the coastguards abandoned plans to take the man to an ambulance waiting nearby. Instead they flew him straight to Dorset County Hospital.

Mr Holder said a boat could not be used for the rescue due to high winds.

He said: “It was a case of finding a decent position on the ship.

“The casualty was not breathing properly and he was a bit combative and aggressive.

“We had to restrain him a little bit.

“We could not lift him with his arms thrashing around and he was trying to push people away.”

None of the crew were able to speak to Mr Holder in English.

He added: “The howling wind made it difficult and the language was the biggest problem.

“But after my initial assessment the condition of the man was painfully obvious.”

Winch operator Steve Larsen was able to bring the two men aboard where diagnosis continued with the Filipino man arriving in Dorchester still alive.

Mr Larsen said: “The weather was atrocious with severe turbulence.

“The winds were coming around Portland and straight into the harbour.

“That was compounded by heavy showers to make a great degree of difficulty.

“Our main concern was whether we were going to be able to go over Ridgeway because of the cloud but we could get through.”

A coastguard spokesman said they received the call at 8.07pm on Friday and the casualty arrived at the hospital at 8.50pm, She said: “Unfortunately he did not make it through the night.

“We don’t think it was an accident or anything.

“The ship called up to say that he was having difficulties breathing and suddenly became very ill. This now goes to the Marine Police and the Marine Accident Investigation branch for investigation.

“There was no suggestion that there was an accident or anything but he was suddenly taken seriously ill.”

“We got a call from A&E to say that he did not make it.”