Young man clings on to rugby ball as lifeguards called to deep water rescue off Seaburn beach

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeguards rescued two young men at Seaburn beach who found themselves suddenly in deep water.

At around 4.30pm on Tuesday August 13, lifeguards were alerted to an incident approximately 150m outside the red and yellow flags.

Lifeguards, who were already in the water training, responded to the incident on rescue boards.

Arriving on scene they came across two young men, one lying in the ‘float’ position and the other clinging to a rugby ball.

Both casualties were each secured on a rescue board and paddled to shore by lifeguards who then carried out casualty care assessments and wrapped them blankets.

The two young men had been playing catch with a rugby ball in standing depth water when they found themselves suddenly in deeper water and unable to swim to shore.

While talking to the causalities it became apparent that the young man who had used the ‘float’ technique had heard this message from lifeguards who had visited his school and delivered water safety education talks.

The RNLI’s Respect the Water safety campaign is sending a stark reminder this holiday season: Be prepared, and practise the skill of FLOATING to avoid being a coastal fatality – floating can be the difference between life and death if you find yourself in trouble in the water.

For more information and safety tips, please visit: www.RNLI.org/RespectTheWater