Volunteer RNLI Helm Andy Read, dressed in full kit, sits in Mudeford Lifeboat Station with the 11-year-old girl he rescued. Both Andy and the girl are smiling at the camera. Photo: RNLI/Charis Jefferson.

‘I floated to live’: Billie’s story

Monday 7 September 2026

When 11-year-old Billie got into trouble in the water, an off-duty RNLI crew member raced to her rescue. But Billie’s quick-thinking brought her vital time.

It was the afternoon of Thursday 19 September. Eleven-year-old Billie was on Avon Beach in Mudeford, Dorset, with her friend and her friend’s parent. Backed by a row of colourful beach huts, Avon Beach is a postcard-perfect sandy stretch that slopes gently into the sea. Billie and her friend were enjoying themselves in the shallows, the sun shining and seagulls gliding overhead – until, in the bat of an eyelid, everything changed.

‘I might get taken away by the sea’

‘We were playing on the beach, just swimming and stuff, and we got a bit deep,’ says Billie. ‘The waves started getting a lot bigger and I couldn’t touch the floor. I was thinking, oh no, this isn’t going to be very good. I might get taken away by the sea. I felt very scared and I tried to swim back. I was able to swim a little bit back, but then I was out of breath and really tired.’

Avon Beach is one of Billie’s favourite places – and is popular with families. Enjoying the beach with his family on the same day was Andy Read, Volunteer Helm at Mudeford RNLI.

‘We were close to the waterline and I turned and noticed Billie and her friend were in the water about 20m out,’ says Andy. ‘The adult that was with them was obviously concerned about how far they’d gone out. At that point I noticed Billie rolling onto her back into the Float to Live position,’ says Andy. ‘She was doing exactly the right thing.’

Bravery on the beach

Billie had been told about the Float to Live advice in her swimming lessons and recalled it at that crucial moment. Floating on her back so she could get her energy back, she shouted for help. ‘I was scared,’ Billie recalls, ‘but I felt like I knew what to do, and I made a starfish on my back.’

Meanwhile, Andy left his possessions on the beach and asked his partner to call 999. Fully clothed, he entered the water and swam towards Billie. He managed to reach her, reassure her and calm her down. They then made their way to her friend who had been helped by another person, and as a group they made their way back to the safety of the beach.

‘They were floating to live, and that undoubtedly bought them those extra few minutes before I was able to reach them,’ says Andy. ‘They should be really proud of their actions, and this just brings home the importance of the lifesaving technique and why we try to reach as many people as possible with our messaging.’

Lifesaving advice

The RNLI’s Float to Live advice has helped save the lives of more than 50 people in all sorts of situations, including falling into the water unexpectedly and suffering from cold water shock or getting caught in a rip current.

Two RNLI lifeguards float on their backs in water to demonstrate the lifesaving Float to Live technique. — RNLI lifeguards demonstrate the Float to Live technique

'A real hero’

Billie and her mum, Kate, visited Mudeford Lifeboat Station to thank Andy – but only after they’d done some detective work!

‘We didn’t know Andy’s name,’ says Kate. ‘But I knew I had to find him to thank him for rescuing the children – he is a real hero. After I put up a Facebook post, someone from the lifeboat station came forward and said they knew it was him as he’d been spotted walking home in his wet clothes. He'd literally left his family, who he was with on the beach with, walking. He wasn't working – he just jumped in fully clothed. He is such a selfless person and wanted no appreciation or glory for saving Billie. We are so grateful to him and the whole RNLI for everything they do to try to keep us safe.’

RNLI Volunteer Helm Andy Read is in Mudeford Lifeboat Station with the 11-year-old girl he rescued, on a tour of the station. The girl is sitting in the lifeboat and Andy is standing nearby. Both are smiling at the camera. — Andy showed Billie and her family around Mudeford RNLI

Billie enjoyed a tour of Mudeford RNLI where she and her friend saw the lifeboat and tried on some crew kit. Of Andy, she says: ‘He was very kind. I would say thank you very much – I don’t know how else I can thank him.’

Since the incident, Kate has kindly fundraised for the RNLI by taking part in a sponsored walk, while Billie has supported the RNLI’s Float to Live campaign to help others stay safe. Billie says: ‘I would say to anyone to remember the [Float to Live] advice, it might just save your life one day.’

Alongside helping the RNLI share the vital Float to Live advice, Billie has been sharing her water safety knowledge with her school friends and gaining confidence with her swimming in the pool.

Watch Billie and Andy share their story:

Sharing the message even further

As Billie’s story shows, the Float to Live message is a lifesaver. And thanks to Scania, we’ve been able to share it in more places than ever this summer.

A Scania trailer, with the RNLI’s Float to Live advert across the side. Littlehampton RNLI volunteers are standing in front of the truck. — Our Float to Live messaging travelled around the country with Scania.

From 21 July to 3 September, Scania drove a trailer, wrapped in our Float to Live advert, around the country, with stops at Littlehampton, Cromer, Whitley Bay, Blackpool and Scarborough.

August is one of the busiest times of the year for our volunteers, with the summer holidays and hot weather bringing high numbers of visitors to the coast. A huge thank you to Scania for helping ensure our Float to Live message could reach as many people as possible when it mattered most.

Meet more people who helped save themselves from danger by remembering to Float to Live.

Read survivor stories