RNLI lifeguards stage jetski sea rescue for World Drowning Prevention Day

The team staged a mock rescue off Roker beach as part of the Float to Live campaign.

Transcript

00:00Daniel Bedwell from the RNLI. It's World Drowning Prevention Day today. Obviously we're very

00:06lucky here in Sunderland, we have some fantastic beaches, it's going to be very popular over

00:09the summer. What's the advice? If you're heading to the beach this summer, always go to a lifeguarded

00:15beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. Our lifeguards are down the beach every

00:19day 10 till 6 and they check the conditions. They know that it's safe and if you do get

00:24into trouble that they're able to rescue you. Here at Sunderland we have Roka, Cat and Dogs

00:29and Seaburn. They're patrolled every day 10 till 6 until the 1st of September. If you

00:35do find yourself in trouble in the water, it's really important that you float to live.

00:39This is something that has saved many lives. Cold water shock is still a very big risk

00:44in the summer. That's one of the main reasons people get into trouble. It's important people

00:49fight their instincts and if they do find themselves in a spot of bother, they float

00:53on their back with their head tilted back and their ears submerged and they move their

00:57hands gently to stay afloat. Don't worry if your legs sink, everyone can float, people

01:02just float differently. So long as you've got your head tilted back, your ears submerged

01:06and your mouth and nose out of the water, that can be enough to save your life. Another

01:10really important piece of water safety advice is to always go with a mate. Always go with

01:15a friend, a family member just to make sure if you do get into trouble, you've got someone

01:19there who can call for help. You can call 999 and ask for the coastguard or ask the

01:23lifeguards for help. Never go and ask for someone if you see them in trouble. Always

01:27call 999 and ask for the coastguard. And what are the particular problems you might face

01:31at the beach? So particular problems at the beach, here for the lifeguards at Roka, some

01:36of the common rescues they do are for inflatables, stand up paddle boards and this is usually

01:41caused by environmental conditions like offshore winds. If you go to the beach and you see

01:46an orange windsock up, always make sure you don't take an inflatable in the sea as you'll

01:52often have a lifeguard come out to rescue you. They might be a good idea for a poor

01:55environment but for the beach the weather is unpredictable and they can take you out

01:59very quickly. So always exercise precaution and don't go in if you see a windsock up

02:04in an inflatable.