RNLI lifeguards receive round of applause after helping four people in trouble
RNLI lifeguards came back to shore to a round of applause after they brought four people back to safety at Perranporth beach yesterday.
The four adults were swimming when they got caught in rip currents pulling them out to sea. The swimmers were up to 200m from the water’s edge and had drifted outside of the red and yellow flagged zones.
Three RNLI lifeguards were involved in the incident. George Hudson paddled out on a rescue board, while George Haynes and Georgia Maughn launched the Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) to help bring the swimmers safely back to the beach. Passing surfers also helped the lifeguards with the rescue. Upon returning to the beach, a small crowd clapped and cheered the lifeguards for their work.
RNLI lifeguard, Georgia Haynes, explained the incident: ‘George Hudson was really quick to respond. The casualties were panicking and distressed because they were being dragged out to sea, but George calmed them down. Once they were all safely back we did several PA safety announcements and approached people in the water advising them about being able to keep their feet on the ground and to keep checking that they’re in the correct flagged areas.’
The RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign is running throughout the summer. To find out more about the dangers of the coast and how to stay safe, visit www.rnli.org/RespectTheWater or search #RespectTheWater on social media.
Notes to Editors
Video footage of the rescue can be downloaded here http://rnli.org/Pages/Video-Details.aspx?VideoItemID=vHgzmcx5
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For further information, please contact either Aysha Bryant, RNLI Communications Student Placement, on 01752 854479 or [email protected] or ChlÓ§e Smith, RNLI Press Officer, on 07920 818807 or email [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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