cornwalllive.com
Surfers step in as swimmers get into difficulty at sea
Surfers raced to rescue swimmers who found themselves in difficulty in the sea at a Cornish beach. Two bathers found themselves struggling on Porthleven Beach on Friday (June 26).Porthleven Town Council has praised the heroic actions of Martin Lawless and Mark Kite, two members of Porthleven Surf Club, who entered the water and helped bring the swimmers safely ashore.The council is using the frightening incident as an opportunity to remind members of the public that there is no lifeguard cover until late July across many Cornwall beaches, despite thousands flocking to the coast due to the recent weather conditions.Porthleven Town Council said: "Following on from yesterday, when two bathers got into difficulty and were safely pulled from the sea by two members of the Porthleven Surf Club, we'd like to remind everyone that there are currently no RNLI lifeguards on duty until late July."It also issued advice urging bathers to always check the forecast and tide times, never swim alone, keep a fully charged mobile nearby, avoid using inflatables in the sea and never enter the water after drinking alcohol or taking drugs.If you find yourself in difficulty, remember to Float to Live:tilt your head back and keep your ears submergedrelax and control your breathinguse your hands to help you stay afloatonce you've recovered, call for help or swim to safety if possible.In total, seven people have died across the UK after getting into difficulty in water-related incidents during June's record-breaking heatwaves.A 50-year-old man was the first to die at a beach in Wales on Wednesday (June 24). A body was also found this weekend after a 15-year-old schoolboy went missing while swimming in a nature reserve in Southampton.. Another 15-year-old was also recovered from a reservoir by Greater Manchester Police after getting into difficulty near Cowbury Reservoir.A man also died after getting into difficulty in the sea on Friday morning. The 69-year-old was from Clacton. In Lancashire, the body of Hayden Jones, aged 13, was pulled from Meynell Lake on Saturday (June 27) .West Midlands Police also said on Saturday evening that the body of a woman had been recovered from a pool in Sandwell Valley Country Park after she had gone missing in the water. The death toll rose again after the body of missing Brody Leach, 22, was pulled from the River Severn in Shrewsbury.During the May heatwave, at least 15 people, the majority of whom were children, drowned whilst swimming in open water.
