RNLI lifeguard rescues child struggling to stay above water at Southerndown
An RNLI lifeguard rescued a young swimmer who was struggling to keep his head above water at a Vale of Glamorgan beach.
A group of school children were playing in the water at Southerndown beach at high tide at 10.30am on Wendesday (19 July) when lifeguard Dan Mohamed spotted one boy getting into difficulty.
The boy, 10, had got out of his depth, was beginning to struggle to stay above the surface and started calling for help.
Dan, who was on a water’s edge patrol, spotted the danger and immediately radioed fellow lifeguards Gareth King and Lauren Blake with his intentions before quickly paddling out to the child on a surf rescue board. He pulled the boy onto the board and returned him to safety at the beach, where he offered safety advice to the whole group of children and advised that the boy to seek further medical assistance due to the risk of having inhaled water.
Matt Childs, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor, said: ‘This child did exactly the right thing by alerting the lifeguard by calling for help. As he was swimming in the red and yellow flagged swimming area the lifeguard was able to provide an immediate response to a situation which could have quickly become more serious.
‘With the summer holidays now upon us, I would like to remind everyone going to the coast to choose a lifeguarded beach and always swim between the red and yellow flags. Our lifeguards are there to help and provide safety advice and are always keen to talk to anyone with any queries about water or beach safety.’
Lifeguards will be providing a daily safety service on four Vale of Glamorgan beaches - Whitmore Bay, Barry Island, Llantwit Major beach, Ogmore beach and Southerndown – every day between 10am and 6pm until Sunday 3 September.
Notes to editors:
The attached stock RNLI lifeguard picture should be credited RNLI.
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].
Key facts about the RNLI
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.