The weather in Hastings, on Friday morning June 26, could not have been more different from the day before. A sea mist hung over the beach and the air was damp, a far cry from the baking temperatures of the day before when the beaches were packed.
RNLI lifeguards Oliver and James were keeping watch over the beach when Oliver noticed two boys who were 150-200 metres from the shore shouting and waving in distress.
Oliver commented later: “Having given my radio and hat to a beachgoer on the shore I entered the water and made towards the casualties. One of them yelled for me to help his brother who couldn’t swim. I encouraged him to try and float but he was too distressed so I towed him into shore using a chin support.”
Whilst this was taking place James, another lifeguard, arrived with his board and headed out to the second casualty who was keeping his head just above the water. He was placed on the board and brought to the safety of the shore. Both lifeguards acted swiftly and their world-class training enabled them to prevent what could have been a tragedy.
Once both boys were safely ashore they were asked questions to make sure they hadn’t swallowed water as this can lead to secondary-drowning and then were advised to go to hospital to get checked out.
Lifeguard supervisor Georgia praised the lifeguards for their quick thinking and their calmness throughout the rescue. One further minute can mean a fatality at the beach.
The RNLI urges people to read as much safety advice as possible before they arrive at the beach. It is important to swim between the yellow and red flags and to make yourself aware of the local conditions and tide timetables.
The lifeguards who patrol the beaches are trained to deal with a variety of scenarios and part of their work is preventative by educating the beachgoers about the dangers of the water and keeping safe. Always respect the water and keep safe.
Image Credits: RNLI .