RNLI lifeguards involved in major first aid incident on Prestatyn beach
RNLI lifeguards on Prestatyn beach responded to a diabetic woman who was drifting in and out of consciousness.
Lifeguard Jack Bancroft was first to respond to the incident after a member of the public alerted lifeguards to the woman at about 4.20pm on Friday (19 August). She was suffering a hypo-glycaemic episode on the beach to the west of the RNLI Beach Lifeguard Unit.
The woman, who was with two children at the time, was unconscious when Jack first arrived on scene but soon after was drifting in and out of consciousness and was able to communicate that she was diabetic.
By this time an ambulance had been called and fellow lifeguard Methan Ratnakumar has arrived to support in the woman’s treatment. The lifeguards administered oxygen and gave the woman glucose gel, but her condition worsened and she was placed into the recovery position and monitored until paramedics arrived and took over her treatment.
They were able to give further treatment to the woman, who recovered quickly and was able to walk to the waiting ambulance a short time later.
Matt Jessop, RNLI lifeguard Supervisor, said: ‘The member of the public did exactly the right thing to alert our lifeguards to this incident. Our team are all fully first aid trained and carry a range of first aid equipment and are ready to respond to injured or unwell people on the beach.’
RNLI lifeguards will provide a daily safety service on Rhyl and Prestatyn beaches between 10am and 6pm until the end of the season on Sunday 4 September.
Media contacts:
For more information please contact Chris Cousens, RNLI Press Officer, Wales and West, on 07748 265 496 or 01745 585162 or by email on [email protected].
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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