Dunbar RNLI issues beach safety warning as couple tells of dramatic rip rescue
The RNLI has urged people to beware of strong rip currents after recent incidents at East Lothian beaches.
Dunbar Lifeboat Station’s volunteer crew provided medical assistance to a man, his partner and her 12-year-old daughter, who had to be rescued during the incident at Tyninghame Beach on Saturday 24 May.
Although the man had to be airlifted to hospital, all three made a full recovery from their ordeal. Had it not been for the quick actions of another couple, however, there could have been a tragic outcome.
While Sean Bowman swam in and had to make the difficult decision to save the girl while her mum and step-dad struggled to stay afloat, his partner Emma Picken called 999 and helped get a nearby surfer to rescue the other two.
Speaking to the RNLI to alert others to the dangers of rips in the area, Sean said: ‘I’m so glad they were all okay. If it had been an hour earlier – with no one else around – the whole family might have been swept out there and it could have been an absolute disaster.’
Emma, 38, and Sean, 46, of Dunbar, had arrived at the beach for a picnic with children Aaron, ten, Harvey, eight and five-year-old Sofia. The other couple and girl were already in the water and Aaron had gone into swim not far from them.
Emma said: “Although it was warm, it was windy that day and the waves were quite high.”
After about an hour, Sean noticed the adults had moved up the beach with their two other children but the 12-year-old girl remained in the water. Sean said: “I had to get Aaron out because it was cold and I didn’t want him to freeze.
‘Then the girl started screaming really loudly and I could see she was now quite far out, about 60 metres. The mum and dad ran down and said they weren’t good swimmers. That’s when I swam to get the girl. I could feel the pull of the rip but back home in South Africa we are taught to swim left or right, not straight out, so I swam in a diagonal to reach her. The mum swam as well but she got caught.’
Emma said: ‘Sean thought he could help the girl more so pulled her back out of the water and shouted for me to call the coastguard. At that point the dad went in to try and get the mum. They were now drifting out in the rip tide.’
Sean said: ‘I grabbed the girl by the arms and put her up on my shoulders and we just swam back and I dropped her off. I went back in but by that stage they were right by the back breakers about 150 metres out.’
While HM Coastguard paged for a Dunbar RNLI lifeboat and alerted the Scottish Ambulance Service and the police, Sean tried to take a body board to help the couple stay afloat. Sean said: ‘I swam out as far as I could and shouted to them to try and catch the board but the tide caught it and sent it into the rocks. I stayed in the water but not too deep to make sure they were ok. They were now so far out it was hard to see them. We could just see their heads bobbing up and down. I have never seen waves that big since coming to Dunbar.’
Emma was alerted to a surfer and his daughter further down the beach. With Sean’s guidance, he managed to reach the couple on his board.
Sean said: ‘He couldn’t see them at first. I had to point him in the right direction but he managed to reach them. The woman did well to keep the man afloat, as I think he was struggling, and she and the surfer managed to get him on the board. They got to shore as the coastguard and lifeboat arrived, then the helicopter and the ambulance came.’
Dunbar RNLI volunteers treated the casualties before passing the man to the helicopter medics and the woman and daughter into the care of the ambulance crew.
On the route to Tyninghame Beach are water safety signs warning of dangers, including rip currents, but Emma – who owns a hair salon – and Sean, who runs a recruitment company, said people need to be more aware of the risks involved with swimming on beaches without lifeguards.
Emma said: ‘There is a sign at the car park but it is easy to miss. I feel there needs to be more at the beach. At least this was at the weekend when there were people there. If that had been a week day when it is quieter there might not have been anybody there to save them. I couldn’t even hear the girl screaming because it was so windy but Sean did.’ Sean added: ‘I don’t think people should swim there, if there’s a constant rip tide. If you’re not a strong swimmer it will just pull you.’
Emma said the incident has been a powerful lesson for her children: ‘It’s been a great learning experience for Aaron and Harvey that you can’t just go and swim thinking you are going to be safe. What was also good for Aaron – because he loves the lifeboats – was to see it all unfold and to see that the RNLI is there and responsive and there are people there to help.’
Ray Cunningham, RNLI Water Safety Education Manager, said: ‘Rip Currents are an incredibly dangerous occurrence that can catch out even the most experienced water user and they can pop up all across the UK. You can sometimes spot a rip by seeing where water may be a little calmer where waves are or by spotting the water rushing out in a narrow channel. We would recommend checking out a lifeguarded beach if you can and swim between the flags when you enter the water as this is the safest place to swim.
‘If you find yourself caught in a rip the first thing to remember is don’t panic, remember the RNLI’s FLOAT message to keep your head above water. If on a lifeguarded beach you can raise your arms and try to call for help. Once you have caught your breath, you can swim parallel to the shore (sideways) which should allow you to escape the outward pull of the rip current as they are generally quite narrow. Once you are out of the rip you can then make your way back to shore.
‘If you see someone caught in a rip, we don’t recommend going in to rescue them, you are putting yourself at risk. Instead dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard and tell them where you are, how many people are in trouble and the situation.’
Notes to editors
With photos
· Established in 1808, 16 years before the formation of the RNLI, Dunbar Lifeboat Station is one of the oldest in Scotland and is located on the south side of the mouth of the Firth of Forth.
· Since its formation, its volunteer crews have been honoured with 12 awards for gallantry.
· It operates two lifeboats – the Trent class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) John Neville Taylor, moored at Torness Power Station, and the D-class inshore lifeboat (ILB) David Lauder, which launches from Dunbar Harbour.
· A file photo of Dunbar’s lifeboats can be viewed here.
RNLI media contacts
Douglas Wight, Dunbar RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, [email protected]
Alexander Williams, Dunbar RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer [email protected]
Natasha Rushby, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office (available 24 hours) 01202 336789 [email protected]
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