Children saved after getting pulled out to sea by rip tide near Highland beach
Two children were saved by an off-duty lifeguard after getting caught in a rip tide while bodyboarding from a Highland beach earlier this month.
The mother of one of the youngsters described Callum McDonald as a hero after he spotted the pair in trouble when he was surfing in the area.
The RNLI lifeguard from Dundee was on a surf trip on the north coast when he spotted the children in trouble at Farr Bay in north Sutherland.
He said: “I had been out on the water surfing for around an hour before I spotted what I thought was another surfer. The beach was empty, so I was confused at the sight of seeing someone else at sea.”
Callum initially thought it was a fellow surfer, but when he got closer, he realised there were two young bodyboarders caught in a rip current near some rocks.
He said: “There was lots of splashing, and I realised it was them kicking their legs furiously in an attempt to get back to safety. I tried to get closer to them, but I was cautious of the nearby rocks and wanted to avoid us all getting hurt.
“They were moving in the rip at a reasonable speed – rip currents are fast moving channels of water flowing out to sea. It is common for rip currents to form around fixed structures like the rocks at the end of sandy bays like Farr Bay.
“They are especially common in big swell, like it was that Friday. I encouraged them to swim over to me but I realised they were too tired to get themselves out of the rip, so I paddled over to them.”
In an attempt to get the casualties back to safety on the beach, Callum encouraged them to hold onto his board leash so he could paddle them back.
“I was insistent on taking them one at a time to ensure their safety, but they were so scared and panicked that neither of them wanted to be left alone. I decided that them holding onto the leash was the next best thing and I began to paddle back.”
Callum had to time it in between the sets to ensure everyone’s safety, and eventually made it to the middle of the bay. By this time, the two individuals had lost their bodyboards and weren’t doing well at keeping themselves afloat.
“Unfortunately, my long board wasn’t big enough for the two of them, but I eventually kicked them back in and got them ashore,” Callum added.
The children were reunited with their friends and family and were checked over before Callum mentioned the risk of secondary drowning and the signs to look out for.
He added: “Secondary drowning is when water gets onto the lungs and can cause irritation and a fluid build-up that can develop 24 to 48 hours later.”
Tracy, one of the parents of the casualties, said: “If it wasn’t for Callum’s courageous actions, I don’t even want to think about what could have happened. He is a hero, and we can’t thank him enough for how he responded that day.
“Anyone can get caught up in these sorts of conditions, so I’m urging all parents to take care when visiting the coast this summer and be aware of the dangers, and how to keep yourself safe.”
Thursday this week is World Drowning Prevention Day and the RNLI is reminding everyone in Scotland how to stay safe when visiting the coast this summer, including how to avoid rip currents and the lifesaving technique of Float to Live.
The RNLI advises anybody paddleboarding or bodyboarding to wear a buoyancy aid, carry a phone in a waterproof pouch, wear the correct leash and avoid offshore winds.
If you end up in the water unexpectedly or are in trouble in the water without your board then float on your back and call for help when you are able to, they add.
If you do find yourself caught in a rip tide you are advised not to try to swim against it or you’ll get exhausted; if you can stand, wade don’t swim; if you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore; and always raise your hand and shout for help.
For further information on water safety visit: http://rnli.org/safety
