Heroic lifeguards saves two children in 10 minutes

On Sunday August 7, RNLI Lifeguard Thomas Capes was patrolling between the red and yellow flags when the lifeguard unit radioed alerting him of a child struggling in the water just outside of the patrol zone.

Thomas responded immediately and found the child in difficulty at the outfall – a pipe that runs directly to the water and creates a deep puddle.

The charity’s lifeguard quickly returned the child to shore before responding to a second child who was also struggling in the water around the outfall.

Both children were fine and did not require any medical attention but were a little shaken up.

Lifeguard Supervisor Marcus Upjohn warned of the dangers of outfalls: “The water at the outfall appears shallow when the tide is in, but the sandbank quickly drops off and leaves many in shock at the water depth.

“We advise all beachgoers to choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. That way if you find yourself out of your depth or struggling in the water, one of our lifeguards will quickly be on hand to help.”

This comes just days after two children were rescued after getting into difficulty playing on an inflatable ring in the sea at Mablethorpe on August 3.

A duty CCTV operator was monitoring cameras covering Queen’s Park when he first observed the children in difficulty, struggling to paddle back.

The operator contacted Lincolnshire Police and a lifeboat was deployed, and a RNLI lifeguard entered the sea where he swam 800m to safely rescue them.

The children were checked over by paramedics, and luckily were able to go home an hour later.

If you find yourself or anyone else in trouble in and around the water when visiting a lifeguarded beach, please dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

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