RNLI Sea Palling lifeguards rescue a family of eight

At around 2pm, lifeguard Tom Owen was in the lifeguard unit when he spotted a group of people struggling in a rip current. He immediately alerted fellow lifeguards, Greta Balfour and Becky Cooper who were patrolling the shoreline.

The lifeguard duo entered the water quickly on their rescue boards. When they reached the family of eight, the lifeguards assisted the family onto their rescue boards with the support a rescue tube.

Once ashore, the family underwent a series of medical checks as they were visibly shaken. However, the family were fine and did not require any medical attention.

Lead Lifeguard Supervisor Ted Morgan praised the family for visiting a lifeguarded beach: ‘The family did the right thing by choosing to visit a lifeguarded beach this weekend. By swimming in between the red and yellow flags, our lifeguard team could immediately see them when they were in trouble and were quickly on hand to help.

'Rip currents can appear quickly out of nowhere and drag you out of your depth. We advise beachgoers to follow our Float to Live advice if you find yourself in trouble in the water.’

If you find yourself struggling in the water, follow the Float to Live advice:

· Fight your instinct to thrash around

· Lean back, extend your arms and legs

· If you need to, gently move your arms and legs to float

· Float until you can control your breathing

· Only then call for help or swim to safety

For more information on how to stay safe this summer, please visit: RNLI Beach Safety – Top Five Tips To Stay Safe By The Sea

Notes to editors

RNLI Sea Palling lifeguard service has been operating since 2001. To learn more about the lifeguarded beach go to: Sea Palling Beach - Lifeguarded beaches (rnli.org)

Lead Lifeguard Supervisor Ted Morgan is available for interview.

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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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