A mum has praised RNLI volunteers who dashed to save cousins Subby and Kizza after the youngsters got into difficulty in Blackpool, Lancashire, and nearly drowned
This is the dramatic moment two young boys were saved from drowning after a “miracle” rescue at the British seaside.
The extraordinary footage captures the cousins, aged 10 and 12, plucked out of the sea by RNLI heroes. The children were seconds from death after getting into difficulty near a pier in Blackpool, Lancashire.
But RNLI volunteers leapt into action and rescued the boys from the waves, just as the youngest was dragged under the water. He was left “gasping for air” while his cousin clung desperately to the pier.
A terrified mum told how she watched the “nightmare” unfold and pleaded with her 10-year-old son to stay alive: “I knew he’d cling on if he could hear my voice telling him not to let go, but by now the water was rising fast and I could see him going under.”
The limp body of 10-year-old Subby was dragged into their boat with his arm bleeding from his attempts to hold onto the pier.
In shocking footage, he initially slips from their grasp falling back into the sea until they grab him again. They then went at high speed to rescue of his 12-year old cousin Kizza.
The boys were then taken to the beach to the waiting paramedic while a second lifeboat team went back for an older relative, who’d gone into the sea to help them. He’d been left clinging onto the pier but higher up.
This week, the boy’s mum will return to Blackpool to meet the amazing RNLI rescuers who saved her son and nephew from drowning and has agreed to share their traumatic story ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25.
Zully, from Leeds, had decided to share their traumatic experience on May 28 during a trip to Blackpool, to warn others of the dangers of the sea and she is backing The Mirror’s Save Lives for Sam water safety campaign.
The terrified mum-of-four told how she tried to wade out to the boys but feared the worst as she watched Subby’s head disappear beneath the water. Her nephew Ted, 21, a carer from Bradford, also tried to reach the boys.
Zully said: “The tide started to come in quickly and I could see the boys in the distance, they were stuck and the water was rising rapidly. A wave whacked me and hit me on the side.
“Ted turned to me and said: ‘Zully, get out, they’re too far out’. I couldn’t go back, as I knew if my son heard my voice, he’d hang on to the pier. I knew he’d cling on if he could hear my voice telling him not to let go, but by now the water was rising fast and I could see him going under.
“It didn’t feel real, it was like I was in some kind of helpless dream – a nightmare. I could see my nephew hanging on, but I could see the fear in his eyes. I could see my boy submerged next to the poles of the pier. I scrambled along the pole and was shouting desperately to him, but I just couldn’t get to him.
“The police came and took me out of the water. I was screaming ‘I can’t get to him – that’s my son and my small nephew.’”
RNLI praised for saving lives
A 999 call was made by a member of the public, and the Coastguard requested the launch of Blackpool RNLI lifeboat. The volunteer crew were paged for the 11th time in seven days.
The D-class inshore lifeboat was on scene within four minutes.
Zully said: “I was shouting at the top of my voice – we need the orange boat. At this point the boys had been hanging on for 40 minutes. I could see the water going over his head and him gasping for air, but I was struggling to see if he’d come back up again.”
The lifeboat crew immediately located Subby and Kizza and manoeuvred alongside the pier stanchions so the crew could pull the children to safety.
With Ted higher up the pier supports, and a second crew on scene, the original crew made the decision to deliver the children to paramedics waiting on the shoreline.
Zully, who was not aware of the RNLI charity before the dramatic rescue, said she is really looking forward to meeting her family’s rescuers: “God bless these people who came. I can’t comprehend the fact they are just normal people with jobs and their own family, but they’d risk that to save my family.
“The crew were all living in that moment, they had no concern for all those people watching and everything going on around them. They went in there with a job to do. They don’t get enough credit for what they do. Nothing mattered to those people in that boat but saving lives and that’s incredible.”
‘The sea can be evil’
Zully had travelled to Blackpool during the May half term with her sister, sister-in-law, and her son Ted, along with their children to celebrate Eid al-Adha.
They had checked the tide online ahead of their impromptu trip, but tide times and heights vary throughout the month and the incoming tide can easily leave people stranded.
Zully continued: “When I saw Subby coming in on that lifeboat and being carried away, it was like a miracle. I thought he’d gone.
“He survived because of these people who are volunteers. It was like a dream come true. I’m a single mum and I do my best for them. I was beating myself up thinking what more could I have done. I’d checked the tide but never expected things to happen so quickly.”
Zully added: “The sea can be evil, it doesn’t care who you are, it just takes you. I keep my son so close now, it’s shaken us all. This happened to the people I love and it could so easily happen to other families too.
“I have been reliving that moment and keep seeing the people in that orange boat and the marvellous care they gave doing exactly what they are trained to do. They just want to save people for no rewards and that’s just amazing.
“Without the RNLI, I would have lost him. My first boy. I’d have never forgiven myself. Not only that I was the one in charge of the other children. I could never have carried the guilt of going on if it would have been another outcome. The guilt would have eaten me.
“We didn’t even know who these rescuers were before, but now I know they are volunteers and the RNLI is a charity. I’d urge people to support them. They do what they do even thinking once about their own lives, what an incredible selfless act.”
‘Remember to float if you’re in difficulty’
Chris Cousens, RNLI Water Safety Lead said: “We are incredibly grateful to Zully and her family for their courage in speaking up about their experience to ensure others are mindful of the risks.
“Nobody visits the coast expecting to get into difficulty. We’re urging families to check the tide times before you go. If you can’t understand the information on tide tables, ask people who know the area and pay attention to any safety signs.
“Always carry a means of calling for help, like a fully charged mobile phone. If you do get into difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
“Instinctively, most people who find themselves struggling in the water will begin to panic, swim, or thrash about. We’re urging people to ignore this instinct and remember to float: Tilt your head back, with your ears submerged. Relax and try to breathe normally.
“Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to. It’s fine if your legs sink – we all float differently. By doing this, you give yourself the chance to rest and recover your breathing. Once you’ve regained control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety.”
