Camber Sands lifeguards praised for keeping holidaymakers safe

During the scorching summer lifeguards put their training in lifesaving and casualty care to good use.

Rye Harbour RNLI press officer KT Bruce said lifeguards had to deal with children – as many as 40 at weekends – who had become separated from their families.

Visitors were able to approach lifeguards or the beach patrols – organised by Rother District Council – and request a wristband on which a contact telephone number was written to make re-uniting families and children easier.

The beach patrols were also quick to spot a child who seemed lost and had become separated from their family, and at weekends they were supported by paramedics and the police.

Mrs Bruce said: “The RNLI lifeguards and all the other agencies work tirelessly to make a day at the beach a happy memory and to prevent tragedies occurring.”

Ahead of the summer season, the newly recruited lifeguards were put through training which ensured a high level of fitness.

They were required to swim 200 metres in under three and a half minutes and run 200 metres on sand in under 40 seconds.

Mrs Bruce, who spent a morning at Camber Sands with the RNLI team of lifeguards, said she was struck by the ‘dedication to their job and their professionalism’.

The RNLI advised beachgoers to respect the water, know the times of the tides and to keep children within sight.