Double rescue during heatwave for RNLI lifeguards in south-east Wales

On Wednesday 24 June at Rest Bay in Bridgend, RNLI Lifeguard Connie Millar was doing a board patrol in the water when she was radioed by fellow Lifeguard Charlie, alerting her to three boys aged 3-6 years-old in difficulty in the water. Connie quickly paddled over to find all three boys out of their depth, barley staying afloat and screaming for help.

When Connie reached the boys, only two of them were still afloat with their heads above the water. The third boy was fully submerged underwater. Connie quickly grabbed the submerged boy and pulled him up out of the water onto her board, followed by securing the other two boys onto the rescue board.

All three were shaken by the ordeal as she returned them to shore, and the children were handed into the care of their family on the beach. Connie explained what happened and gave the boys guidance to stay within their depth and swim between the red and yellow flags with a supervised adult.

After the rescue Connie said:

‘It was a “Go, go, go!” moment, had they not been spotted quickly by Charlie watching from the tower, it could have turned into a very different situation.

‘I paddled as hard as I could to reach the casualties and managed to safety bring them to shore.

‘During extreme hot weather, understandably, many people head to the coast, but we remind the public to always supervise children if they are in the water as they can easily become out of their depth. And always swim between the red and yellow flags, where the lifeguards are actively patrolling.

The following day (Thursday 25 June), off duty RNLI Senior Lifeguard Non Roberts rescued a person in difficulty at Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan. Non spotted the person in difficulty in the water and rushed to assist them, performing a chest tow 50m out from waters edge. After bringing them to shore, the casualty began feeling unwell and vomiting. Non called an ambulance, but the casualty’s family said they would take them to hospital.

Lead Lifeguard Supervisor Matt Childs said:

‘Llantwit Major begins RNLI lifeguard patrols on Saturday 4 July, until then is it unsupervised by our RNLI lifeguards. Thankfully Non was at the beach at the time of the incident, with the skills and safety knowledge to rescue this person in difficulty.

‘As a reminder, if you are visiting the coast, please try and visit at a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. If you get into difficulty, remember float to live.

‘If you see anyone in difficulty in the water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’

If you find yourself in trouble in the water, the RNLI’s safety advice is Float to Live:

• Tilt your head back with your ears submerged
• Relax and try to breathe normally
• Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat
• It’s OK if your legs sink, we all float differently
• Once your breathing is under control, call for help or swim to safety.

To find your nearest lifeguarded beach visit: www.rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeguarded-beaches