Hastings lifeguard rushes to the rescue after persons falls into River Rother
Lifeguards responded to an incident at Rye Harbour after a person fell into the River Rother and became caught in the strong current on Wednesday (August 3).
A spokesperson for the RNLI said: “At around midday, the RNLI lifeguards were tasked to aid a casualty struggling in the water on the western side of the river at the end of the harbour wall.
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Hide Ad"Lifeguard Georgia Landy immediately responded to the call, grabbing a rescue tube, and rushing to the location.
“Upon arrival, she saw that the casualty was trying to keep hold of the harbour wall and, although in visible distress, they were conscious and responsive. After calming them down, Georgia managed to strap the rescue tube around the casualty's body to help them stay afloat, and swam back to safety.
“Once on land, the lifeguards administered casualty care and treated multiple cuts caused by the barnacles on the wall. Shortly afterwards, the casualty was reunited with their family.”
Georgia, RNLI seasonal lifeguard supervisor in Hastings, added: “It was a challenging rescue but we train extremely hard to respond to incidents like these in the shortest of time, no matter the water or weather conditions. I am happy I could bring the casualty back safely to their family.”
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Hide AdThe RNLI issued a reminder to beach-goers on the ‘one simple skill’ that could be life-saving.
Hugh Richardson, lead lifeguard supervisor for East Sussex, said: “Nobody goes to the coast thinking they will need to be rescued, but it can happen to anyone. The river Rother has strong currents, and even the most confident swimmer can get into difficulty.
“There is one simple skill that could save your life and that is Float to Live - Fight your instinct to thrash around, lean back and extend your arms and legs like a starfish, keeping your nose above the water.
"Stay in this position until you can control your breathing, and only then call for help, swim to safety or continue floating until help arrives. If you see someone else in trouble in the water, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.”