Off-duty lifeguards save lives after 15 fully clothed men enter red-flag water

THREE men were saved from drowning after getting caught in a strong rip current off a Welsh beach.

- HOLLY MORGAN

Following their lifeguarding shift at Whitesands beach, Pembrokeshire, on August 30, RNLI lifeguards Jake Rogers and Euan Buick had gone in the water to enjoy a surf.

At around 7.30pm they spotted a group of 15 men entering the water at the north end of the beach, an area that is red-flagged during lifeguard hours due to a strong rip current.

The group of men were fully clothed and made their way to waist depth in the water.

Jake and Euan observed from their surfboards in the water and saw three of the men lose their footing due to the large waves. They quickly began to be swept out to sea.

Euan caught a wave to the two men who had been swept furthest out, who were trying and failing to hold each other up in the water among the large breaking waves. They were drowning each other and going underwater.

Euan passed his surfboard to them to use as a flotation device, mindful not to put himself at risk of being submerged by the casualties. Jake arrived and they both tried to put the casualties on their surfboards, but the men were panicking and unable to hold onto the small shortboards.