Hero Lifeguards Targeted By Narks

By Duncan Horscroft on March 29, 2011 in News

Despite the heroics shown in Friday’s dramatic rescue at Bronte Beach in which a three-year-old girl was brought back to life, there are a few people knocking the efforts of the lifeguards with claims that the beach was not set up properly.

These accusations are causing no end of angst among those involved in the rescue and the boys in blue have been approached with comments like: “I hear you didn’t set the beach up properly”, insinuating it was their fault the drama occurred.

Well I for one couldn’t disagree more.

There were three big ‘DANGEROUS CURRENT’ signs in strategic spots along the beach and the lifeguard rescue board was also on the shoreline waiting in readiness.

I was there. I saw the whole thing unfold and there was no way there was any error by the lifeguards.

Harry ‘H’ Nightingale, Bobby ‘Yak’ Yaldwin and Michael ‘Mouse’ Jenkinson were on duty and prior to the incident Harry actually singled out the Korean family near the rock pool as the ones to keep an eye on.

No sooner was that said than the alarm was raised and the boys burst in to action.

In a heartbeat they were down the beach and in the water, at that time unaware one of those in trouble was a three year-old girl.

She had lost her footing on the shore and was swept out with the father jumping in the surging surf in an attempt to save her.

A quick-thinking surfboard rider – Richard Freeman – grabbed the struggling father, but let him go when he realised there was also a child in the water and went to her assistance instead.

By that time Mouse had arrived on a rescue board and grabbed the limp body of the girl who was turning blue and successfully resuscitated her.

The father was also successfully returned to shore and waited anxiously with his daughter while the paramedics monitored her before taking them to hospital where both father and daughter were eventually given the all-clear, before flying back to Korea.

It was a fantastic rescue and all involved deserve medals for their efforts. They definitely don’t deserve to be criticised by those who think they know better.

The knockers should be taken to task and made to publicly apologise for even suggesting there was anything untoward in the performance of their duty.

Professional lifeguards regularly put their lives on the line in an effort to save others and all rescues aren’t always successful, which can cause huge emotional stress on those involved.

But when a young child is revived to live another day it is a cause for celebration.

It is a sad, sad day when the saving of kid’s life gives some people ammunition to criticise.