Terrified Mum relives drowning nightmare to help RNLI save lives this summer

‘I knew he’d cling on if he could hear my voice telling him not to let go, but by now the water was rising fast and I could see him going under.’

Zully’s 10-year-old son Subby and 12-year-old nephew Kizza were seconds away from drowning as they clung to the pier stanchions amidst crashing waves in a desperate bid to stay alive during the incident on 28 May. The family are now working with the RNLI to raise awareness of the risks at the coast as schools across the UK break for the summer holidays.

Zully frantically tried to wade out to the boys but feared the worst as she watched Subby’s head disappear beneath the water. Her nephew Ted, 21, a carer from Bradford is shown in the RNLI’s dramatic footage released today, clinging to the pier in a desperate bid to wade out to reach the boys.

Zully says:

‘The tide started to come in quickly and I could see the boys in the distance, they were stuck and the water was rising rapidly. A wave whacked me and hit me on the side. Ted turned to me and said: ‘Zully, get out, they’re too far out’. I couldn’t go back, as I knew if my son heard my voice, he’d hang on to the pier. I knew he’d cling on if he could hear my voice telling him not to let go, but by now the water was rising fast and I could see him going under.

‘It didn’t feel real, it was like I was in some kind of helpless dream – a nightmare. I could see my nephew hanging on, but I could see the fear in his eyes. I could see my boy submerged next to the poles of the pier. I scrambled along the pole and was shouting desperately to him, but I just couldn’t get to him. The police came and took me out of the water. I was screaming “I can’t get to him - that’s my son and my small nephew.”

‘I was shouting at the top of my voice - we need the orange boat. At this point the boys had been hanging on for 40 minutes. I could see the water going over his head and him gasping for air, but I was struggling to see if he’d come back up again.’

A 999 call was made by a member of the public, and the Coastguard requested the launch of Blackpool RNLI lifeboat. The volunteer crew were paged for the 11^th time in seven days.

The D-class inshore lifeboat was on scene within four minutes. They immediately located Subby and Kizza. The lifeboat was manoeuvred alongside the pier stanchions in turn to allow the crew to safely pull the children into the lifeboat.

With Ted higher up the pier supports, and a second crew on scene in the Atlantic 85 RNLI lifeboat now, the D-class crew made the decision out of urgency to deliver the children to paramedics waiting on the shoreline by south pier, and for the Atlantic 85 to complete the rescue of the adult.

Zully, who was not aware of the RNLI charity before the dramatic rescue, is really looking forward to meeting her family’s rescuers for the first time and has nothing but praise for them. She says:

‘God bless these people who came. I can’t comprehend the fact they are just normal people with jobs and their own family, but they’d risk that to save my family.

‘The crew were all living in that moment, they had no concern for all those people watching and everything going on around them. They went in there with a job to do. They don’t get enough credit for what they do. Nothing mattered to those people in that boat but saving lives and that’s incredible.’

Zully had travelled to Blackpool during the May half term with her sister, sister-in-law, and her son Ted, along with their children to celebrate Eid al-Adha. They had checked the tide online ahead of their impromptu trip, but want other people to be aware and mindful of risks.

Tide times and heights vary throughout the month and the incoming tide can easily leave people stranded, requiring assistance. On bigger tides, places will be cut off by the tide more quickly than normal and places usually unaffected by the tide may also be cut off.

Zully adds:

‘When I saw Subby coming in on that lifeboat and being carried away, it was like a miracle. I thought he’d gone. He survived because of these people who are volunteers. It was like a dream come true. I’m a single mum and I do my best for them. I was beating myself up thinking what more could I have done. I’d checked the tide but never expected things to happen so quickly.’

This story is especially poignant with World Drowning Prevention Day approaching this weekend. Knowing how to float can save your life if you get into trouble in the water. By practising floating in a safe and supervised environment, you’re better prepared for an emergency. For World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July, we’re asking everyone to Find Your Float and learn this vital self-rescue skill.

For more information and to find a float event near you visit: https://www.respectthewater.com/campaigns-resources/world-drowning-prevention-day/

Chris Cousens, RNLI Water Safety Lead says:

‘We are incredibly grateful to Zully and her family for their courage in speaking up about their experience to ensure others are mindful of the risks. Nobody visits the coast expecting to get into difficulty. We’re urging families to check the tide times before you go. If you can’t understand the information on tide tables, ask people who know the area and pay attention to any safety signs.

‘Always carry a means of calling for help, like a fully charged mobile phone. If you do get into difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

‘Instinctively, most people who find themselves struggling in the water will begin to panic, swim, or thrash about. We’re urging people to ignore this instinct and remember to float: Tilt your head back, with your ears submerged. Relax and try to breathe normally. Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to. It’s fine if your legs sink – we all float differently. By doing this, you give yourself the chance to rest and recover your breathing. Once you’ve regained control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety.’

As World Drowning Prevention Day takes place this weekend, it’s a timely reminder of the importance of knowing how to float. We’re encouraging everyone to ‘Find Your Float’ by learning this lifesaving skill and practising it in a safe, lifeguarded location.

The RNLI’s advice for anyone struggling in the water is ‘Float to Live’:

• Tilt your head back, with your ears submerged

• Relax and try to breathe normally

• Move your hands and feet to help you stay afloat

• It’s fine if your legs sink, we all float differently

• Practise floating in a local pool if you can.

If you see someone else struggling in water:

• Call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

• Tell the person to relax and float on their back.

• Throw something buoyant to help them stay afloat.

For more information visit RNLI.org/Float.

Zully adds: ‘The sea can be evil, it doesn’t care who you are it just takes you.

‘I keep my son so close now, it’s shaken us all. This happened to the people I love and it could so easily happen to other families too. I have been reliving that moment and keep seeing the people in that orange boat and the marvellous care they gave doing exactly what they are trained to do. They just want to save people for no rewards and that’s just amazing.

‘Without the RNLI, I would have lost him. My first boy. I’d have never forgiven myself. Not only that I was the one in charge of the other children. I could never have carried the guilt of going on if it would have been another outcome. The guilt would have eaten me. We didn’t even know who these rescuers were before, but now I know they are volunteers and the RNLI is a charity, I’d urge people to support them. They do what they do even thinking once about their own lives, what an incredible selfless act.

https://www.respectthewater.com/campaigns-resources/world-drowning-prevention-day/

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

For more information please contact Danielle Rush, Regional Communications Lead in Wales, the North West and Isle of Man on 07786 668829 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or [email protected].

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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