The ‘near deaths’ in recent weeks have reignited calls from locals for more signage and a permanent lifeguarding presence on the beach
Several children have been rescued from treacherous rip tides off the coast of North Wales.
It is reported three men jumped into the waters to come to the aid of the youngsters after they got into serious difficulty off the coast of Gwynedd at Tywyn’s beach on Cardigan Bay.
According to North Wales Live, a beachgoer said “four or five” children were pulled from the water to safety across several separate incidents towards the end of last week’s heatwave. The incidents have prompted fresh calls for a permanent lifeguarding presence at the beach where dangerous tides are said to be “not uncommon”.
People who rushed to the rescue said they were “shocked” by the series of perilous incidents on Saturday, June 27. Locals said in social media posts that if it wasn’t for the heroic actions of bystanders, “we would be looking at another drowning”.
One woman wrote online: “Parents need to keep an eye on their children….. sitting on the beach and oblivious to the danger their children were actually in.” Another added: “Things could have gone very differently today!”
It comes as Tywyn’s rip currents have resulted in tragedy a number of times over the years. In July 2015, a 74-year-old grandfather died while trying to reach two girls caught out by a rip current out at sea.
Richard Guest, a former bank manager from Bethel, held onto one girl until a lifeboat was deployed but sadly did not survive the ordeal. His daughter is among the many campaigning for the beach to be “properly lifeguarded”.
Just three years later, a group of three teens were airlifted to hospital after getting into a difficult spot in the water. The incident again prompted a petition for lifeguards on the beach, citing a 2014 RNLI study that identified the dangers of a rip current associated with a rock breakwater at the beach.
Rips are powerful currents flowing seaward, which can rapidly sweep people from shallow waters into deeper areas. The RNLI stated: “They tend to flow at 1–2mph but can reach 4–5mph, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer.”
Tywyn beach appeared relatively calm last Saturday in comparison. Yet with the latest incident, locals are calling for better signage on the beach to prevent people from assuming the water is safe when it isn’t.
On social media, one woman said: “It’s a disgrace that children’s lives are being put at risk to save the cost of a couple of signs.” The beach does have a small sign warning of rips but locals want notices to be more prominent.
The beach does feature a small sign alerting visitors to rips but residents want warnings to be more visible.
Red flags are also displayed at Tywyn to indicate danger. Residents claim the flags are consistently disregarded as they are seldom removed.
