A TEENAGER says her dad would not be here today if it wasn’t for the dedication of the Portland Coastguard.

Rescued David O’Donovan and his daughter Megan, 19, have added their voice to the call for a coastguard supercentre to be sited in this area.

He was found by the Portland Coastguard in the middle of the night after falling 100ft down a quarry on Portland in 1999.

David, who lives in Rufus Way on the island, was unable to move because he had a broken back and an injured ankle.

He had been knocked unconscious by the fall – which happened when he was walking at 6pm – and was found by a determined coastguard at 3am the next morning.

David, 64, said: “One moment I was looking out over the quarry and the next thing I knew I was slipping down it and there was nothing to stop me from falling.

“I came round much later and I propped myself up with an oil drum and tried to set a bush on fire to get their attention.

“The coastguards never gave up on me. I could hear them when they shouted and could hear them letting a flare off. I was then in the helicopter and the only thing I can remember is seeing lights in the sky.”

David had to wear a body brace and learn to walk again after the accident .

He recently met one of his rescuers, known as Kerne, for the first time at a Dorset Fire and Rescue Service display in Weymouth. He is a retained firefighter who volunteers for the coastguard and his son Dan works with him at Portland Fire Station.

“Kerne told me that it was a young lad who found me and I said: ‘Thanks for all you have done,’” David said.

His daughter Megan said her dad owes his life to the coastguard.

She said: “My dad wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the coastguard. The Portland Coastguard knew the area and wasn’t that far away. They found my dad. I’m very grateful.”

Retired lorry driver David said Megan asked him to support the campaign because she feels so strongly about the work of the coastguard.

He added: “I think they are brilliant. If they moved away from Weymouth we wouldn’t have any local knowledge.

“If you ring them then you can speak to someone who knows where it is you are talking about.

“If you speak to someone in Southampton you could lose a lot of time.”

l The government plans to close the coastguard operations control room at Weymouth and is yet to decide where the new supercentre is to be based.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is compiling a proposal for the Maritime Operations Centre to be built in the area, and not at the Solent.

Together with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, we are holding a Walk of Support for Portland Coastguard on Saturday, September 3 from Weymouth Pavilion at 11am. See more information on our Facebook page by searching for Portland Coastguard – Save Our Lifesavers or follow links from the Echo Facebook page.