Off-duty RNLI lifeguards have come to the aid of three people in separate incidents in recent days.
The incidents happened on the Causeway Coast and in Co Down with the first incident taking place at Downhill Beach on Saturday, August 6.
Senior Lifeguard Cara Telfer had finished her daily patrol and was enjoying a swim with her family after 7pm when she observed a boy deep in the water about 150m from the shore.
Read more: Warning as eight rescued from rip currents on NI beaches
She said: "When I got out of the sea after our swim. I said to my dad that I wasn’t happy with the boy being that far out on his own in case he would get into trouble. I could see his mother on the beach waving at him and trying to call him in, so I approached her, explained that I was a lifeguard and asked if her son was a good swimmer.
"When she said he wasn’t and that she was worried, I told her I would go and get him. I swam in and by this stage the boy was further out and behind the breaking waves, but his head was still above the water. I asked him to hold on to my arm and we swam in until he could stand and then we walked to shore."
Meanwhile, in Co Down on Saturday evening, Senior Lifeguard Paddy Murphy had just finished his daily patrol on Tyrella Beach and was driving home when he came on an incident where a man was having a heart attack on the side of the road.
Paddy got out of his car and double checked with those gathered that an ambulance had been requested before doing an initial assessment and then administering casualty care and doing constant monitoring until the ambulance arrived.
At 4pm on Tuesday, Lifeguard Supervisor Stuart Montgomery was driving between beaches on the Co Down coast when he stopped at Kilkeel Beach to let his dog Stan out to get some water. As he did this, Stuart observed what he thought was a man in difficulty in the water approximately 150-200m from the shore.
The man was splashing and scrambling to stay afloat. Stuart immediately swam to his rescue at which point the casualty was going under the water.
Having brought the man safely ashore, Stuart then checked to ensure he hadn’t swallowed any water, that he hadn’t hit his head and that there was no one else with him, before the man was able to walk off the beach unaided.
Speaking following the incidents, Regional Lifeguard Lead Michael Thompson commended the lifeguards for using their intuition, skills and training to help others despite being off-duty.
He said: "I want to commend and thank Cara, Paddy and Stuart who without doubt made a huge difference in all three incidents. Their selfless and courageous efforts despite being off-duty is testament to the dedication of our lifeguard team and it is very reassuring and pleasing to know that their knowledge, skills and training will immediately kick in regardless of time or place when they see someone in difficulty."
READ NEXT:
-
Three men rescued after dinghies swept out to sea off Co Antrim coast
-
Teen on inflatable unicorn rescued after drifting off shore in Strangford Lough
-
Sea swimmer rescued after getting into difficulty in Co Down
-
RNLI warning after 11-year-old rescued more than a mile out to sea
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
