‘Everything was silent. All I could hear was their screams.’ 

There’s only one thing worse than seeing your children in trouble in the water – not seeing them. A mum recalls the day her daughters were swept out at Barmouth.

We all hope we’ll never have to make a 999 call. But in August 2022, Milena – mother of 10-year-old Elsie and 12-year-old Mabel – had to do just that. Playing in the surf one minute, the girls were suddenly swept out to sea. As the two sisters drifted apart, Elsie instructed Mabel to float. Milena explains what happened next.