Sharp-eyed Suffolk RNLI lifeguard rescues boy caught in rip current

Nineteen-year-old Hal had been diligently watching swimmers at the beach when he spotted the boy had got into difficulty while swimming about 50 metres outside the RNLI patrolled zone, which is marked by red and yellow flags.

The boy, who was about 150ft offshore, had climbed onto a groyne in panic and was in a distressed state. Hal took to the water with a lifeguard rescue tube and had to convince the boy to get back into the water so he could clip him into the tube.

He was then able to tow the young swimmer safely back to shore where the pair were met by the boy’s distraught father and a round of applause from members of the public who had witnessed the rescue.

‘This incident shows how quickly swimmers can get into difficulty, particularly where rip currents occur,’ said Lifeguard supervisor Liam Fayle-Parr. ‘It was high tide at the time and the current was pulling the boy around the end of the groyne into deeper water, and it was too strong for the boy to swim against.’

Liam praised Hal, who lives in Lowestoft, for his quick-thinking and for spotting the incident which took place outside the RNLI patrolled zone on Thursday 17 August at around 5pm.

‘Hal has been with us for several seasons now and is a brilliant lifeguard,’ Liam said. ‘He is a really strong swimmer and is incredibly dedicated to his job’.

‘It was very fortunate that he spotted the swimmer outside the zone and we would always advise people to swim within the red and yellow flags which mark the area covered by our lifeguards,’ Liam added.

RNLI lifeguards currently patrol more than 240 beaches in the UK and Channel Islands and last year saved 127 lives. As well as rescuing people from the water they also receive extensive training in responding to medical emergencies. In total the charity’s lifeguards attended 17,414 incidents last year helping 20, 538 people.

Photo caption 1: RNLI lifeguard Hal Tooley, who rescued a young swimmer caught in a rip current at Lowestoft.

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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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