RNLI lifeguards and lifeboat crew save swimmer off Rhyl beach

The charity’s lifeguards spotted a man swimming far out to sea at 1.45pm yesterday afternoon.  RNLI lifeguard Anastassis Lamprou paddled out on a rescue board and advised the man, who was now quite a distance from the beach, to consider making his way back to shore.  However the man, who was visiting the area, was eager to continue on his swim. Anastassis decided to stay nearby in case he needed assistance.

The man got into difficulty approximately 700m offshore and found himself drifting out to sea.  He was assisted onto the rescue board by Anastassis who started to paddle back to the beach.  As they were making their way back to shore, the man was hit by a small wave and fell off the rescue board, swallowing a lot of water as he fell into the sea. 

The Rhyl volunteer lifeboat crew were on their way back to the lifeboat station after responding to call of a woman in difficulty in the sea off Llanddulas when they diverted over to assist the lifeguard and swimmer who were by now 1,000m offshore.  Both the swimmer and lifeguard were assisted into the inshore lifeboat and taken safely back to the beach.

After checking that the man was well and unharmed from the incident he was handed over to the care of the local Coastguard team.  Immediately after the incident the lifeguards, lifeboat crew and coastguard team were called to help search for three missing children on the beach, all of which were thankfully found safe and well.

Notes to editor
Attached is a photo of the swimmer thanking RNLI lifeguard Anastassis Lamprou, who with the help of Rhyl lifeboat crew, rescued the swimmer off the north Wales coast.  Credit: RNLI
Attached is footage taken by Rhyl lifeboat crew of the incident. Credit: Rhyl RNLI.

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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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