Two 13-year-olds were rescued by the Brighton lifeboat after being swept out to sea on a calm, sunny afternoon.
One of the teens, Billy, remembered his dad’s advice to float on your back, and both the boys followed this to calmly stay afloat waiting to be rescued.
Billy and two friends were swimming close to shore on Sunday, 18 May when a strong current unexpectedly pulled them out.
One member of their group made it back safely, but the other two quickly found themselves far from where they had entered the water.
Paddleboarders in the area attempted to assist but were also struggling against the same current.
Billy’s mum Monique Devlin said: “Billy managed to stay fairly calm and went onto his back to try and float.
“They both remembered the advice. It helped to buy them some time before the RNLI got there.
Billy’s dad had once been in trouble in the sea and shared that advice with him from a young age, fortunately it stuck.”
Both casualties were rescued by the RNLI volunteer crew and brought back to the station, cold and shaken.
They received immediate casualty care and were reunited with their families shortly afterwards.
Monique said: “It was such a shock to get a call from the RNLI. I felt a mixture of relief, gratitude, and fear of what could have been.
“The crew were absolutely fantastic – calm, kind, and focused on safety.
“They weren’t judgmental or condescending. They had amazing interpersonal skills as well as doing all their heroic work. I want to say a million thank yous.”
Monique has now done research into when lifeguards are patrolling the beaches and Billy, who had had swimming lessons from a young age, is only allowed swim when he knows it is safe to do so.
RNLI Helm Mat Humphrey, who led the rescue, said: “It’s absolutely brilliant that Billy knew what to do – floating on your back can give you those vital minutes you need to stay calm and stay safe. It made a real difference.
“We’re so relieved this had a happy ending. They both did really well in a very frightening situation, and we’re glad we could bring them back safely.”
RNLI’s Float to Live advice:
- Tilt your head back with ears submerged
- Relax and try to control your breathing
- Use your hands and legs to help you stay afloat
- It’s fine if your legs sink, we all float differently
- Once over the initial shock, call for help or swim to safety
