Teignmouth RNLI Helm assists two paddle boarders in difficulty

Will said ‘I was walking from my car to the river beach and it was brought to my attention that somebody was in difficulty in the river as I heard a lady screaming for help. I looked out and saw two people in the water holding onto a paddle board being washed out towards the point in the strong ebb tide. My son got his dingy and we went to assist them. I held the lady up who was suffering from shock whilst her husband held onto the side of the boat and paddle board. We slowly tried to head to a moored boat so we didn’t get pulled out of the mouth of the river but couldn’t with her husband so I told him to let go and float with the paddle board and another boat would pick him up.

I then pulled the lady out of the water and we went to the nearest moored boat so I could assess her condition. A couple of local boatmen arrived on scene to help and we then slowly transferred her back to shore and I stayed with her until the ambulance arrive’.

Teignmouth RNLI Lifeguards and Teignmouth Coastguard Rescue Team also responded to the incident.

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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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