This summer I was at the Gower Coast  on a beach with lifeguards and flags indicating the safe area to swim. The weather was fine and the sea had small waves. I was standing at chest height when I felt myself lifted off my feet. As a cautious swimmer I aimed to get back to a shallower spot but found myself unable to swim against the current and being dragged out further and at some speed. My adult sons tried to pull me back but it was too strong and the waves had got much larger. I realised I was in real trouble.

 My daughter raised the alarm to the lifeguard on shore and within seconds a surfer  appeared next to me on a surfboard with handles. He directed the boys to escape the rip current by swimming parallel  to the shore.

In the midst of the waves the surf lifeguard got me onto the board, lying down and surfed back to shore with tremendous speed and skill as I held tight to the handles.

I am profoundly grateful to RNLI lifeguards, (pictured above), Nathaniel on the board and Hamish at the shore who co-ordinated my rescue. If lifeguards had not been present, I, and perhaps others, would almost certainly have drowned.

I would like to raise awareness of what to do if caught in a rip current and raise money for surf lifeguards as an excellent means of patrolling the water and saving lives.

 The RNLI website has this useful advice on Rip Currents https://rnli.org/safety/know-the-risks/rip-currents 

I will  be walking the Thames Path from Teddington Lock to the Thames Barrier, 32 miles, in a day on the 7th August with my friend Nick and anyone else I can rope in.

Any donation, however small would be appreciated.

Too many people are still drowning. More than ever we need the RNLI’s help. As a charity, the RNLI depends on our donations so it can go on saving lives and keeping us and our loved ones safe. RNLI lifesavers are our lifeline. They’re the lifeboat crews who provide 24-hour search and rescue right around the UK and Ireland. The lifeguards keeping watch on 240 of the busiest beaches in the UK and Channel Islands. And the RNLI safety teams and educators working tirelessly to stop people getting into trouble in the first place.Thank you.