Busy weekend for RNLI lifeguards at South Hams beaches
It was a busy weekend for RNLI lifeguards at Blackpool Sands and Bantham beach.
At around 10:20 on Saturday morning (7 July), lifeguards at Blackpool Sands were called over to an eight year old girl on the beach who was unconscious. The girl’s parents said she had vomited after coming out of the sea and then had fallen unconscious.
By the time RNLI lifeguards Kat Wallace and Emily Bush had arrived the girl was responsive. The lifeguards then gave her oxygen and monitored her until an ambulance arrived.
Senior RNLI lifeguard Tom Morris, who oversaw the incident, said:
‘Saturday was the first day of peak season for our lifeguards and Kat and Emily had completed their casualty care training only the day before. They responded immediately and put their training to excellent use.
Our casualty care training equips the lifeguards with lifesaving first aid skills. We always encourage people to come to the lifeguard units on the beaches for help if they see anyone in need of assistance on or near the beach.’
RNLI lifeguards were also busy at Bantham beach, which held the annual Tribal Clash event. Tribal Clash is a team work event that tests individual fitness. RNLI lifeguards assisted the event’s own water safety team and aided six people who had become exhausted during swimming leg of the event and were unable to get back to shore.
They were assisted into the inshore rescue boat (IRB) and brought back to safety ashore.
Kate Doison, RNLI lifeguard supervisor for the area, said:
‘It’s great that these events take place at a lifeguarded beach as we can assist in the event of an emergency and provide casualty care.
As the weather for the upcoming weekend looks set to stay hot and sunny, we urge anyone planning on visiting the coast during the sunny weather to visit a lifeguarded beach as we provide much greater safety for sunbathers, swimmers, and water sports enthusiasts.’
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.
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