Mass rescue by RNLI Beach Lifeguards Brilliant sunshine and perfect surf conditions drew large numbers of people to North Cornwall at the end of May this year. Adults and children were enjoying swimming and playing in the water between the flags at Polzeath beach when a tidal surge swept 20 of them out of their depth into a potentially lethal rip currentAround 20 swimmers and body boarders were taken by surprise by a tidal surge early in the afternoon of 30 May 2004. The current dragged them into powerful breaking waves towards the rocks. Lifeguard Tom Burgess was already in the water on a rescue board, making sure bathers stayed in between the flags, away from the rocks. He was quick to react to the surge and signalled for help. Four other RNLI Beach Lifeguards leapt into action.

Lifeguard Matt Boon went in to assist on a rescue board and Supervisor John Bull and Lifeguard Dave Hooper launched the inshore rescue boat (IRB).John coordinated the rescue from this vantage point. He knew the lifeguards needed to act quickly and work out who needed help most urgently: 'From the IRB it was easier to spot those swimmers who were struggling and to direct the lifeguards on boards.' John soon found a swimmer in distress near the rocks and Dave dived in from the IRB to assist.

Some of the bathers managed to scramble up onto the rocks to safety themselves, but others were struggling and in danger of being thrown onto the rocks and injured. John remembers that some ofthe children were scared and exhausted: 'The weaker ones were really bad. A couple may not have made it out of the water.' The lifeguards all demonstrated great skill and endurance bringing in one casualty after another. The IRB returned to shore to fetch another lifeguard, Cameron • Patton, and then sped back to help Dave, who was shielding the casualty from the rocks. The IRB picked up the swimmer and took them to shore. By this time the lifeguards on the rescue boards had brought in seven casualties between them.

One lifeguard checked the casualties at the water's edge for any medical problems.

Another lifeguard kept a lookout over the rest of the beach from a clifftop nearby.

The 20 bathers had all reached safety, but there was still one more person to rescue: a surfer. Dave swam to him and made sure he was picked up by the IRB and taken safely to shore.

Nine or ten people were rescued by the lifeguards, saved from injury from the rocks and the danger of drowning. It was only after the incident that the lifeguards involved realised what they had achieved.

They were delighted that no-one was seriously hurt. Matt had some cuts from the rocks that were treated on the beach with plasters and bandages, but nobody needed further treatment.

On reflection, John is pleased that RNLI Beach Lifeguards did such a good job in their first year at North Cornwall and thinks the successful outcome of this physically and mentally demanding rescue was partly due to their RNLI training. He also emphasises how important it was that the bathers were all swimming in between the flags in the first place: 'This gave the lifeguards time to reach them before they risked being battered against the rocks.'.