Last Summer, RNLI lifeguards and lifeboat crews saved the lives of 82 children and teenagers – but they can’t prevent every drowning, as mum-of-two Bethany Hope reports

Tragedy hit the headlines in 2012 with several children dying off the beach at home or abroad. As a mother myself, I shudder when I hear such news. I can’t read the reports without thinking about the agony that each parent must feel. I’m not a ‘wrap-them-up-incotton- wool’-type mum. I have a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.

My children climb high trees, they play football on the street and they swim in the sea. Nor am I daft; I’m watching. But the watching is increasingly from a distance. I spent many happy hours on the beach with them last Summer. My instinct told me we were at a relatively safe bay, but it wasn’t lifeguarded.

Was I wrong?

Disasters in the news
Other families weren’t so lucky. We learned of two Britons dying in Portugal in mid August. Five-year-old British girl Lara Lewis and her 66-year-old grandfather Brian O’Dwyer drowned after being hit by a large wave on the exposed Atlantic coast. And nearly 2 weeks later, George Selby and his 7-year-old son Louis died off Majorca. A wave swept Louis off some rocks and his father, who couldn’t swim, jumped in to try to save him.

The British Isles didn’t escape. In May at West Wittering Beach, West Sussex, Plamen Petkov died after going to the aid of a 5-year-old girl on an inflatable drifting out to sea. He saved the girl but was pulled underwater himself by strong currents just metres from the water’s edge. An RNLI Tribute Fund was set up in his memory.

In September, a mother drowned off a Cornish beach as she tried to save her two sons, caught in strong currents. Her boys survived but she was swept out to sea. These terrible events near and afar remind us of the unpredictable nature of the sea. A happy family day at the seaside can turn into a tragedy in seconds.

From the rescues featured in the Lifeboat magazine and on our website, you can see what a difference the RNLI is making. Three lifeguard services involving young children stood out for me, so I spoke to the people involved to find out more.

The tide turned
On 31 July 2012 RNLI Lifeguards Breanainn Roberson and Lewis Box went to the aid of two young children paddling in the water directly between the red and yellow flags at Westbrook Bay, Thanet, Kent. The 4-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl were gradually getting out of their depth until the boy panicked and grabbed the girl.

As Breanainn pulled the children out, the girl was frothing at the mouth, having swallowed a lot of seawater. Lewis put her straight onto oxygen and an ambulance arrived within about 2 minutes. Thankfully, both children were fine.

Grandmother of the children, Lynn Newman, later praised the lifeguards’ rapid response and was grateful they had been there: ‘We always pick a lifeguarded beach and often come to Westbrook Bay.’

Out of his depth
A young boy was splashing around in the surf between the flags at a beach in Pembrokeshire in August when he lost his footing and the undertow of the wave pulled him out of his depth. Lifeguard Robyn Knibb rescued him and discovered he was only 4 years old. Together they found the parents sitting by the beach café. The dad did not know what had happened and was very thankful. Robyn remembers him using the words ‘I feel guilty’.

The lifeguard said: ‘I wasn’t cross; just upset that a child of that age can be left unsupervised.’

Drowning, not waving
It’s not just little children that need close supervision. On a busy Portreath Beach on 19 July 2012, Lifeguard Pete Carr spotted a boy, aged about 11, out of his depth and going under. He wasn’t shouting or waving, but alarm bells rang for Pete.

Pete reached the child as he was disappearing, grabbed the back of his wetsuit and pulled him up. He was wideeyed and spluttering. The boy recovered quickly onshore and Pete walked up the beach to find the boy’s parents, who were 5 minutes away and oblivious to the drama.

Pete’s a dad himself and sometimes gets frustrated when children’s lives are at put at risk unnecessarily.

In these three incidents, the decision to visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the flags made the difference between life and death. Lifeguards were on scene and fast enough to save lives. They prevent trouble developing and save lives where they can, but they can’t be responsible for other people’s children.

Take care
Researching this article has had me in tears. The threat of losing my children terrifies me. But, it’s one thing getting emotional about what you read in the newspapers and it’s another changing your behaviour as a result. So how will I change the way I look after my children at the beach?

• I’ll find a lifeguarded beach online before I leave home.
• I’ll read the safety signs to find out where the danger lies, rather than trusting my unfounded instincts.
• I’ll ask the lifeguards for advice on the conditions.
• I’ll swim between the flags alongside my children.

If I ever forget these lifesaving tips, my daughter will no doubt remind me – she knows it all from a school trip where she learned about beach safety from the RNLI.

As adults, we’re responsible for our children. So enjoy the beach safely together – don’t sit back and read the newspaper while your kids wade out alone. You might read all about it in the headlines tomorrow.

The Drowning Chain

Every year, there is an average of 153 coastal deaths around the UK. Why? Each link in the chain can result in a drowning, or can lead to the next link, so the RNLI works to break the chain.

Thanks to your support, in 2011 RNLI lifeboats launched 8,905 times and RNLI lifeguards responded to 15,625 incidents, together saving the lives of 438 people. We’re expanding our lifeguard service – patrolling more beaches and extending seasons – and building ever faster and more manoeuvrable lifeboats.

But rescue is the last resort. It only addresses the last link in the chain.

‘We need adults and children to be able to recognise hazards and respond appropriately,’ Staff Officer Operations (Lifeguards) Peter Dawes explains. ‘The RNLI is planning to do more in terms of educating people and raising awareness, which will allow people to take more responsibility for themselves. That way, we can break the drowning chain.’

Ignorance of the dangers > Unrestricted access to hazards > Absence of adequate supervision > Inability to save yourself, or be rescued