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| 'Heroes' hailed for beach rescue | 'Heroes' hailed for beach rescue |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Lifeguards have been praised as heroes for saving 40 children and adults after a sandbank collapsed into the sea. | Lifeguards have been praised as heroes for saving 40 children and adults after a sandbank collapsed into the sea. |
| Coastguards said some of the group would have died if lifeguards at Tenby, Pembrokeshire, had not reacted so soon. | Coastguards said some of the group would have died if lifeguards at Tenby, Pembrokeshire, had not reacted so soon. |
| One guard was already heading out to warn the 36 children and four adults when they were plunged into the water. | One guard was already heading out to warn the 36 children and four adults when they were plunged into the water. |
| The young people, aged 10 to 20 and from many parts of Wales, were on a team-building exercise and were walking backwards into the sea and singing. | |
| They were on a three-day seaside break organised by a group called Action Camp, based in Caerphilly, which organises confidence-boosting breaks for youngsters from deprived areas of Wales. | They were on a three-day seaside break organised by a group called Action Camp, based in Caerphilly, which organises confidence-boosting breaks for youngsters from deprived areas of Wales. |
| Dave Miller, the coastguard sector manager in south Pembrokeshire, said the lifeguards did a "superb job". | Dave Miller, the coastguard sector manager in south Pembrokeshire, said the lifeguards did a "superb job". |
| Adam Pitman: 'I would class that as five or six lives saved' | Adam Pitman: 'I would class that as five or six lives saved' |
| He said: "If not for their fast response times and the methods they used at the scene, lives would have been lost." | He said: "If not for their fast response times and the methods they used at the scene, lives would have been lost." |
| The group were with an organisation called Action Camp at about 1600 BST on Saturday when the drama began. | The group were with an organisation called Action Camp at about 1600 BST on Saturday when the drama began. |
| Senior RNLI lifeguard Adam Pitman said all 40 people thrown into the sea were in danger. | Senior RNLI lifeguard Adam Pitman said all 40 people thrown into the sea were in danger. |
| "They were all fully clothed, so no matter how good a swimmer you are you are not going to be able to swim." | "They were all fully clothed, so no matter how good a swimmer you are you are not going to be able to swim." |
| Jon Johnston, a senior RNLI lifeguard, said the group had been spotted, and he was heading out on a rescue vehicle to tell them to turn back when the sandbank collapsed. | Jon Johnston, a senior RNLI lifeguard, said the group had been spotted, and he was heading out on a rescue vehicle to tell them to turn back when the sandbank collapsed. |
| "They walked about 20-25m out and then the sandbank just shifted, so they were all out of their depth within seconds. | "They walked about 20-25m out and then the sandbank just shifted, so they were all out of their depth within seconds. |
| "It was the biggest rescue I've seen," said Mr Johnston, 21, who is from Selly Oak, Birmingham. | "It was the biggest rescue I've seen," said Mr Johnston, 21, who is from Selly Oak, Birmingham. |
| The RNLI praised lifeguards (l-r) Adam Pitman, Coral Lewis and Jon Johnston | The RNLI praised lifeguards (l-r) Adam Pitman, Coral Lewis and Jon Johnston |
| "I went in on a rescue 'tube' [similar to a large surf board] and asked for assistance from fellow lifeguards. | "I went in on a rescue 'tube' [similar to a large surf board] and asked for assistance from fellow lifeguards. |
| "I secured as many people as I could, waited for another lifeguard to come and then as soon as Adam [Pitman] arrived we shuttled them back to shore and waited for the ambulance and coastguard assistance. | "I secured as many people as I could, waited for another lifeguard to come and then as soon as Adam [Pitman] arrived we shuttled them back to shore and waited for the ambulance and coastguard assistance. |
| "If the lifeguard wasn't here it would have been a terrible situation, there could have been lives lost. | "If the lifeguard wasn't here it would have been a terrible situation, there could have been lives lost. |
| "But fortunately lifeguards were here, we were very proactive. We went to tell them to come back to shore but fortunately as we were there the sandbank shifted so we were on the spot. | "But fortunately lifeguards were here, we were very proactive. We went to tell them to come back to shore but fortunately as we were there the sandbank shifted so we were on the spot. |
| "It was at low tide. The tide was turning, which is the strongest current on the beach. It's only soft sand around here, so basically the sand beneath them all just shifted with the tide which caused a rip current which was dragging them back out to sea." | "It was at low tide. The tide was turning, which is the strongest current on the beach. It's only soft sand around here, so basically the sand beneath them all just shifted with the tide which caused a rip current which was dragging them back out to sea." |
| He said no-one was hurt, but those rescued were shocked. | He said no-one was hurt, but those rescued were shocked. |
| "If we weren't there at the time, if we weren't pro-active, if we didn't go out to tell them to come back, (then) minutes, seconds would have counted on that rescue. We were lucky we were there." | "If we weren't there at the time, if we weren't pro-active, if we didn't go out to tell them to come back, (then) minutes, seconds would have counted on that rescue. We were lucky we were there." |
| Two of the group were taken to hospital at Haverfordwest. | Two of the group were taken to hospital at Haverfordwest. |
| Relay rescues | Relay rescues |
| "We ended up doing relay rescues finding the weakest swimmers first and bringing (them) back into shore and then returning out and ushering the strongest swimmers back in." | "We ended up doing relay rescues finding the weakest swimmers first and bringing (them) back into shore and then returning out and ushering the strongest swimmers back in." |
| "We practice for these kinds of situations a couple of times a week but you don't always envisage the numbers that we actually had in the water in difficulty at one time. | "We practice for these kinds of situations a couple of times a week but you don't always envisage the numbers that we actually had in the water in difficulty at one time. |
| Some of the youngsters caught up in the rescue called it "very scary". | Some of the youngsters caught up in the rescue called it "very scary". |
| One, Jacob, 16, said: "It was fine we were all in up to about our shoulders and the bank just gave way and the tide kept coming in," he said. | One, Jacob, 16, said: "It was fine we were all in up to about our shoulders and the bank just gave way and the tide kept coming in," he said. |
| "Everyone started panicking for a little bit." | "Everyone started panicking for a little bit." |
| Bill Fitzgerald, the leader of the party, said the team-building exercise was not generally dangerous and would continue. | Bill Fitzgerald, the leader of the party, said the team-building exercise was not generally dangerous and would continue. |
| However, he insisted his group acted with the foreknowledge of the RNLI and under its agreed supervision. | However, he insisted his group acted with the foreknowledge of the RNLI and under its agreed supervision. |
| Mr Fitzgerald said he had pre-arranged with the RNLI to oversee what they were doing which was why rescuers were already on the scene to avert a tragedy. | Mr Fitzgerald said he had pre-arranged with the RNLI to oversee what they were doing which was why rescuers were already on the scene to avert a tragedy. |
| However, the lifeguards maintained that the group had gone into the sea half a mile from the official red and yellow flagged area recommended for bathers. | However, the lifeguards maintained that the group had gone into the sea half a mile from the official red and yellow flagged area recommended for bathers. |
| Mr Fitzgerald praised the quick action of the RNLI lifeguards and said the youngsters were "under strict instructions not to go out of their depth". | Mr Fitzgerald praised the quick action of the RNLI lifeguards and said the youngsters were "under strict instructions not to go out of their depth". |
| He said the group felt it "managed the risk from our point of view" and "the fact that the lifeguards were with us at the time gave us the confidence to do what we did". | He said the group felt it "managed the risk from our point of view" and "the fact that the lifeguards were with us at the time gave us the confidence to do what we did". |
| He dismissed suggestions that the dangers could have been foreseen. | He dismissed suggestions that the dangers could have been foreseen. |
| Mr Fitzgerald said the sea paddling team-building experience would continue, but parents who wish their children to opt out in future could certainly do so. | Mr Fitzgerald said the sea paddling team-building experience would continue, but parents who wish their children to opt out in future could certainly do so. |