Lifeguards recount life-saving incident

Two National Conservation Commission (NCC) lifeguards have been recalling how they saved a woman from drowning at Batts Rock on Monday.

Lifeguards Kyle Edwards and Ralston Duke were pressed into action when the unnamed woman, said to be in her 60s, got into difficulty.

As he recounted the events of Monday afternoon, Duke told Barbados TODAY: “We were in the tower looking out and I saw a lady running up the beach telling us that there is a lady in distress on the beach so we ran down to the scene.

“On arriving there I recognised that there was a civilian there who was trying to assist the lady but she was a big lady so it was hard for her to get out of the water and the swells were coming in covering her with water all the time.

“We pulled her to the shore and put her on the sand and brought her up. She wasn’t really responding but after some time she came around.”

Duke appealed to the public to take all the necessary precautions when visiting beaches.

“I have been working at this particular beach for two years. This beach is not a hard beach to work at but some days the conditions vary, you can come today and the conditions would be nice and the next day you would have a lot of waves,” Duke said while adding: “If I come out on a given day and the sea is really rough, I put down the red flags and still I warn people about the conditions but sometimes everyone don’t adhere to all the rules.”

The experienced lifeguard warned that around this time of year the ocean can be unpredictable and advised sea bathers to check in with the lifeguards before going into the water.

“It’s all to do with the sea conditions because this is not a beach that has rough seas but around this time of the year where there are cold fronts the sea tends to get a little rough so today you may be smooth and nice and then tomorrow you may have a lot of waves and currents,” said Duke.

Fellow lifeguard Kyle Edwards also cautioned sea bathers against a worrying trend of parents leaving their children on shore while they go for a plunge.

Edwards said: “We have seen a trend of parents bringing their children on the beach and just leaving them, going in the car park on their phones and just have the kids here running wild on the beach and it’s a practice that we don’t like to see…we are not babysitters at the end of the day we are here to make sure everyone is safe on this beach.”

He stressed the importance of obeying the signs. “When we put down the red flag telling people no swimming we find that some people don’t adhere to it all the time so it becomes a problem for us in that situation,” Edwards said. “We are here for your safety. So just follow the instructions of the lifeguards.”

The National Conservation Commission said a yellow flag posted at a beach means sea conditions are risky and caution should be exercised when swimming. A red flag warns there should be no swimming at all. (kobiebroomes@barbadostoday.bb)