Jet ski romeo: I’m the poor man’s 007
Scot tells of his terrifying lockdown dash amid 6ft waves to see lover
THE Scots lockdown lothario who travelled by jet ski to the Isle of Man to see his girlfriend has told how his madcap trip left him looking like a poor man’s James Bond.
Dale McLaughlan, 28, made headlines around the world after his 27-mile journey to be reunited with Jessica Radcliffe, 30.
But his romantic gesture last month ended with him being locked up for breaching the island’s strict Covid restrictions.
Last night Mr McLaughlan, from Irvine, Ayrshire, admitted the near-five hour voyage was ‘crazy’ but said he ‘did it for love’.
The smitten roofer – who met Ms Radcliffe while he was working on the Isle of Man in September – had never even sat on a jet ski before paying £5,500 for one, with another £500 on a drysuit, GPS and a bag.
‘As soon as I hit open water I thought “Oh my God”. It was like getting a kick in the teeth. It was terrible. It wasn’t fun,’ he told the Sunday Mirror.
‘I followed the GPS, but after half an hour a massive wave wiped it away. I didn’t have a clue where I was going.’
He was battered by waves for four-and-ahalf hours during a trip he had thought would take less than an hour, saying he was clinging on to the craft for dear life and felt like ‘a crappy James Bond’.
During the journey, he played love ballads such as Love is All Around by Wet Wet Wet.
Mr McLaughlan said: ‘I bought the jet ski at 4pm. I drove to the Isle of Whithorn at 5am next day.
‘The first time I’d even stood on a jet ski was in that harbour.
‘It was 27 miles from that point to the Isle of Man. I knew the jet ski could do 52mph.
‘I thought it would take 45 minutes. I tried checking maps and oceanic currents, which I didn’t have a clue how to read.
‘It said on the weather the waves were only going to be two to three feet. When I set off, it was raining and the waves were way higher. Then I lost the GPS.
‘I remembered the sun rises from the east, so I kept it over my left shoulder and went as fast as I could. After two hours I thought, “Where the bloody hell am I?”. I couldn’t see a thing. It was foggy, raining, 6ft waves were hitting me.
I thought I was lost at sea. I was scared. It was about 2C but with water and the wind it felt colder.
‘My hands were numb, my forearms aching. My shoulders were in pain for days from clinging on. The water knocked me all over.
‘One minute, I was staring at the sky going up a 6ft wave, the next I was staring down into the abyss.
‘The water was black and was getting in my eyes and mouth.
‘But the thought of Jessica kept me driving on.’
With the Isle of Man in sight, he pulled into Ramsey harbour – the wrong port – and had to walk the 15 miles to the mother of two’s house in Douglas.
He and his jet ski were caught on camera entering Ramsey harbour and it was not long before the police became involved.
Mr McLaughlan had previously applied for a permit to enter Isle of Man on compassionate grounds but was refused. Breaching the rules carries a jail term of up to three months or a fine of up to £10,000.
He was locked up on December 14 and spent ten days behind bars before being allowed home for Christmas. His brush with death brought international fame. He said: ‘ My meals were passed through the door. The guard said I’d made the papers around the world. The New York Times were trying to call me. I was like, “What? I’m just a guy from Scotland”.’
He added: ‘Others think I’ve done a terrible thing. My car tyres got slashed. I understand both points of view. I broke the law. But I did it
‘I was staring at the sky and then into the abyss’ ‘I did it for love... it could be a crime of passion’
for love. I feel like there is one rule for people in power and another rule for people like me.
‘I wouldn’t say I regret it, but I’m sorry for whatever stress I’ve caused. It could be called a crime of passion.’
He now wants to marry Ms Radcliffe, saying: ‘I would do anything for her... it’s love. The sooner I can start a life with Jessica the better.
‘I’d move there tomorrow if it wasn’t for Covid. The Isle of Man is now famous for the TT and one crazy jet ski guy!’
Ms Radcliffe said: ‘I love Dale. How could I not? I would like to marry him but not this year. He’s got to get here first – legally.’