Newly-trained RNLI volunteer saves a life at Carbis Bay
A newly-qualified RNLI Volunteer Lifeguard Assistant recently saved a man’s life at Carbis Bay in St Ives, just three days after completing her Casualty Care for Lifeguards course.
At 8.30am on 2 June, Doreen Lawrence (76) rushed to the aid of a male who had collapsed while running on the beach. When she discovered the casualty was unconscious and not breathing, Doreen began CPR.
Doreen was joined by other members of the public and together they continued CPR for five minutes, until the community first responders arrived. An automated external defibrillator (AED) was brought and the man was shocked once and given oxygen. The casualty was later airlifted to hospital by a Search and Rescue helicopter.
Anton Page, Lead Lifeguard Supervisor at the RNLI’s Perranporth Support Centre said:
‘Doreen played a major part in saving this man’s life. The Casualty Care for Lifeguards qualification is an intensive three-day course which focuses on a range of different emergency scenarios. Doreen completed the course on the Thursday and then put these skills into practice to save a life on Sunday. She did a fantastic job.’
This was a day off for Doreen, who was at the beach to attend a surf lifesaving event for an inshore rescue boat carnival. As well as working as a taxi driver, she volunteers for the RNLI as a Volunteer Lifeguard Assistant at Perranporth Beach, helping to keep people safe on the beach by providing safety advice, delivering first aid and reuniting lost children with their parents.
Doreen is also Chair of the Perranporth Surf Lifesaving Club, a Parish Councillor for the Perranporth Ward and a member of the Planning and Staffing Committees.
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.