12-year-old girl among three rescued after being caught in strong rip current at Scottish beach
One person had to be air lifted to hospital.
A 12-year-old girl is one of three people who had to be rescued after a strong rip current started dragging them out to sea.
The group were at Tyninghame Beach in East Lothian when they were in danger in the water at about 3pm on Saturday.
The young girl, a 36-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were initially assisted by an experienced surfer who helped them back to the beach.
The three casualties required medical attention and were seen to by Dunbar’s RNLI crew.
Following treatment, one of the casualties had to be airlifted to hospital in the Coastguard helicopter after reports of being “very unwell.”
Dunbar RNLI helm Jamie Forrester said: “When we arrived the casualties were all in need of medical assistance.
“One, in particular, was very unwell. We treated the casualties until the helicopter and ambulance arrived.
“Tyninghame Beach is notorious for strong rip currents, which are difficult to spot. This incident shows how easy a simple trip to the beach can turn serious. If it hadn’t been for the swift actions of the experienced surfer, who was a strong swimmer, this could have been a very different outcome.”
Rips are especially powerful in larger surf, but never underestimate the power of any water. They are also found around river mouths, estuaries and man-made structures like piers.
The RLNI’s tips on safety at sea regarding rips include:
· Rip currents can be difficult to spot, but are sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea's surface.
· Even the most experienced beachgoers can be caught out by rips, so don’t be afraid to ask lifeguards for advice. They will show you how you can identify and avoid rips.
· The best way to avoid rips is to choose a lifeguarded beach and always swim between the red-and-yellow flags, which have been marked based on where is safer to swim in the current conditions. This also helps you to be spotted more easily, should something go wrong. The nearest lifeguarded beach to Dunbar is at Coldingham Bay.
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