Birmingham lifeguard hailed a hero after Tenby sea rescue
A lifeguard from Birmingham has been hailed a hero after helping to rescue 36 children and four adults who plunged into the sea when a sandbank collapsed at Tenby in Pembrokeshire.
Jon Johnston, from Selly Oak, was the first on one scene and pulled members of the group from Brynaman, Carmarthenshire out of the cold waters.
All of the youngsters are safe and well, but RNLI coastguards said up to six lives would have been lost if Mr Johnston, together with Adam Pitman and Coral Lewis, had not reacted so soon.
Senior lifeguard Mr Johnston, aged 21, said the drama unfolded at about 4pm on Saturday at a raised sandbank known locally as the White Back, around half a mile Tenby South beach in west Wales, where up to four thousand people were enjoying the sunshine.
The lifeguards were on a team-building exercise with an organisation called Action Camp and Mr Johnston had already spotted the group who were playing on the dangerous sandbank.
He had started driving towards them to warn them to get back to shore, some 25 behind them, when disaster struck.
Mr Johnston, who works as a summer lifeguard in Pembrokeshire, said: “The people were in three different groups and were walking backwards into the surf holding hands.
“They were ankle deep in water and fully clothed. I saw them doing it and drove up to warn them using our PA system to get back to the shore.”
Before he got to them, the sandbank suddenly shifted, and within seconds all the group were panicking head-high in water.
He said: “I knew this was going to be a major rescue and was concerned. With so many casualties and one lifeguard, I thought ‘how am I going to do this?’”
