Unseen dangers The sea looked calm and safe at Forth beach, Cornwall, on 18 June 2005 but for two tired swimmers, the winds and currents were life threateningThe public were enjoying a sunny day at the beach, unaware that a boy and a girl were slowly drifting out towards the surf. RNLI Beach Lifeguard Matthew Roach had spotted the pair as soon as he started his patrol between the flags. 'From my first scan of the water, I realised they were weak swimmers.' Matthew drove the patrol vehicle over to a small sandbank to get a better view of the pair. The vigilant lifeguard realised some action was needed; he radioed base to say he was going in.

While he was still getting his rescue board the situation became more serious.

Although the boy was near enough to a sandbank to stand up, he hadn't realised this and was beginning to panic. Matthew then saw the girl be hit by a wave and go under.

Soon, both children had given up swimming against the current and were swept out into the breaking swell at the mouth of the bay.

As Matthew paddled through the swell on his board over the breaking waves, the girl was submerged for the second time.

Matthew recalls: 'As I approached, the boy was screaming for help but the young girl had her head tilted back and was barely afloat.

She was clearly the immediate priority.' He reached under the water and hooked the girl up onto the rescue board. At the same time, Matthew was calling to the boy, reassuring the child that he'd be with him too in seconds.

Keeping hold of the girl on the board, Matthew could now assist her brother, telling him to grab the front handle of the board.

The boy managed to take hold and Matthew started to paddle towards the sandbank, waves breaking over the three. He reassured the children that there wasn't much further to go.

Suddenly the boy gave up and let go of the board. Matthew reacted quickly, reaching over the girl to drag her brother, too, up ontothe board. Holding the girl with one hand and the boy with the other, Matthew gripped the rescue board with his legs and let the surf wash them back towards the sandbank.Once back on dry land, the childrenrecovered quickly. They were met on shore by more RNLI beach lifeguards and the father.

No one on the beach had realised quite how close to tragedy they had come. Peter Dawes, Beach Lifeguard Manager (Operations), later stated: This incident demonstrates the need to take care in the water at all times, even when conditions appear to be safe, and the clear benefits of having trained lifeguards on a beach.'.