Lifeguards in Camber Sands inflatables rescue this weekend

At 12.30pm on Sunday 12 August 2018, James Blything and Tom Bedford were patrolling the shoreline when they spotted two large inflatables with two swimmers on each travelling further away from the shore. Recognising that the swimmers were weakening, James took swift action, swimming out on his rescue board. Nearing the first inflatable, James realised that the swimmers were in need of more assistance than he could offer on his own so radioed colleagues on the shore and Tom joined him with another board. Together, the lifeguards were able to rescue all four swimmers and once back on shore, although tired and cold they needed no further medical assistance.

Dominic Richard, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor for Camber, Bexhill and Hastings said, “It’s been a bumper summer on our beaches with the long spell of hot weather. Many visitors have been enjoying the sea and we’d encourage them to keep doing so, but we’d ask that they keep a keen eye on the sea conditions when going in, and be especially careful if using inflatables as currents and winds can create a dangerous situation in seconds. Fortunately these swimmers stayed within the flagged area on the beach which meant we could keep an eye out, and reach them swiftly before their situation became more serious.”

Both lifeguards are in their second season with the RNLI and their supervisor commended them for performing a tricky rescue. Dominic continued, “Tom and James have trained continuously in pre-season and throughout the summer. This rescue showed that their hard work has paid off and they play a big part on a strong team which works to keep our local beaches safe during the season.”

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Note for editors:

The RNLI lifeguard service on the beach at Camber is co-funded by Rother District Council and the RNLI and runs daily from 10am – 6pm between 26 May and 28 October 2018.

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