The Night a Friend Searched for Me on the Cliffs—and What It Taught Me
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Published on May 11, 2025
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The Night a Friend Searched for Me on the Cliffs—and What It Taught Me
Shouldn't we all be doing this?
There’s something undeniably magical about those fishing sessions where you lose signal, lose track of time, and get completely lost in the rhythm of the sea. No pings, no notifications—just waves, wind, and maybe a rod tip lurching over in the darkness. But a recent trip gave me pause, and I think it’s worth sharing—not for the fish caught, but for a moment that reminded me how important it is to keep safety in mind every time we head out.
Business as usual
The night in question was pretty standard fare. I’d headed out to a familiar headland, one of those network dead zones that, truth be told, I quite enjoy. You get to unplug, cast out, and have a few hours of peace. As it turned out, a mate joined me at the last minute, which made for good company throughout the evening.
The next morning, I got a message from a close friend asking me to give him a call when I could. His tone felt off—urgent, even—so I rang him straight away, wondering what was up.
What he told me stopped me in my tracks.
The night before, while I was fishing, he’d sent me two messages spaced about an hour apart. Both undelivered. Nothing sinister about that on the surface—I was off-grid, after all—but he didn’t know I had company. He thought I’d gone alone.
And when the messages didn’t go through, his mind started to churn. Broken ankle? Slipped into a gulley? Tide cutting me off?
Panic stations...
He even ran the situation past his partner. Was he overthinking it? She didn’t think so. And with that, at 11pm on a work night, he pulled on his walking boots, grabbed a headlamp, and drove out to find me. Half an hour later, he was marching the headland in the dark, hoping to catch a glimpse of my light. And sure enough, he did. I was fine, of course, rods out, none the wiser, enjoying the evening.
He went home reassured, to a partner who’d stayed up, just in case.
Now, when he told me this, I laughed—but it hit home. Part of me thought it was a bit much. But another part… well, it understood completely. We’re not twenty anymore. We’re not as quick on our feet or as nimble on the rocks. If something goes wrong out there—if you wedge your foot in a crack or take a fall—the tide isn’t going to wait. No phone signal means no help. And suddenly, it’s not just a bad night—it’s game over.
So where does that leave us?
Is there an obvious answer to all of this?
We’re not going to pack it in and stay home. We do this because we love it. The peace, the challenge, the reward of that one bite after hours of waiting. But we have to be honest about the risks—and take some simple steps to keep things safe.
First, there’s tech. What3Words is a fantastic tool that can pinpoint your exact location—great in an emergency. But again, it depends on signal and data. If you’re in a blackspot, it’s just a fancy app with no use if you can’t share your location.
Mulling all of this over in my head, I came to one conclusion. The real, belt-and-braces solution? Let someone know. Every time.
What can we take from this?
Communication is key
Tell someone you trust—someone who actually keeps their phone on at night—where you’re going, how long you’ll be there, and when you’ll check in. And then stick to that plan. Don’t move marks halfway through the evening without updating them. Don’t extend your session by a few hours without letting them know.
Better still, fish with a mate when you can. A proper buddy system doesn’t just mean more laughs, sharing the fish and the experience—it means someone who can help if you twist an
