Since the children in Wales left school for the summer on 13 July, the beaches around the coast have been increasingly busy.
During July, temperatures in the Ceredigion area reached upwards of 30 degrees, and the hot weather alongside big surf at the beaches meant that there were quite high numbers of rescues and assists.
The RNLI encourage the public to only use inflatables in swimming pools, and to not take them out into open water. Offshore winds can cause inflatables to be dragged further out to sea. If you ever find yourself being pulled out to sea on an inflatable, we recommend that you stay with it to keep yourself afloat, put your hand in the air and shout for the lifeguard.
From the 13 to the 28 of July, lifeguards in Ceredigion carried out seven rescues, eight assists, two searches for missing people and delivered two major first aids. RNLI lifeguards are trained to deal with a multitude of scenarios, and as most of the lifeguards work is preventing incidents, they can identify different beach hazards and offer safety advice accordingly.
On 1 August, just days after their busy week on the beaches, lifeguards on Borth beach responded to a call for help from suspected swimmers in distress. At around 11:45am, lifeguards Steffan Rees and Evan Hubbard heard a faint shout for help coming from the north end of Borth beach. The casualties were swimming roughly 50 metres from the furthest red and yellow flag.
The lifeguards saw that there were two people in the water, and that they were in some difficulty. Steffan Rees paddled over to the two people on his rescue board, and saw that the casualties were a father, who was struggling to stay afloat, and his son, who was trying to keep his father’s head above the water.
Steffan pulled the father onto the rescue board, and his young son held onto the boards handles. Steffan and the adult casualty paddled back to the beach, with the young boy swimming alongside, as he was in no distress and swam well.
Once back on the shore, the lifeguards checked the pair over and apart from the father feeling quite distressed, and initially struggling with his breathing, the lifeguards found no cause for concern and first aid was not required.
Lifeguard Supervisor Tirion Dowsett said, ‘The lifeguards at Borth carried out this rescue efficiently and effectively, and thankfully both casualties were returned to the beach safe and well. This particular incident shows how important it is to swim at lifeguarded beaches, because if you ever unfortunately get into any trouble, a trained professional will be there to assist you.’
Notes for editors:
As RNLI lifeguards need to be physically on the beach during the patrolled hours, ready to respond to emergencies and prevent accidents, the RNLI can’t rely on volunteers to provide this cover seven days a week. Local authorities part fund the RNLI’s costs, which helps to meet the cost of lifeguard wages.
RNLI Media Contacts:
Katie Lewis, Media Engagement Placement, Wales and West at
[email protected] or alternatively Danielle Rush on 07786668829 or at
[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.
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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.
