RNLI LIFEGUARDS patrolling a Cornish beach sprang into action on Sunday, June 14 to rescue a five-year-old boy and his father after they got into difficulty in a deep-water gully flowing out to sea.

The family had arrived on Sharrow Beach at Whitsand Bay and were just setting up for the day when their young son wandered to the water.

Within seconds, he was in difficulty and his father, seeing the incident unfold, responded immediately.

However, in coming to the aid of his son, the father sustained a significant knee injury and as a result, both casualties were struggling in the water.

Charlie Gillett, RNLI lead lifeguard supervisor for south east Cornwall said: “There is a deep hole to the side of one of the large rocks exposed at low tide on Sharrow beach, which has created a gully of fast flowing water heading out to sea.

“The incident happened very quickly, with the little boy exploring the shallow water at the edge of the gully before slipping into the deeper water where he was instantly out of his depth.”

From the vantage point at the lifeguard unit above the beach, lifeguard supervisor Tristan Gillett alerted fellow lifeguard Adam Knight, who was on patrol at the waters edge.

He reacted quickly to pull both casualties safely out of the gully. Once away from the immediate danger, it became clear that the father would be unable to walk up the steep path from the beach due to his injury.

Lifeguards made the decision to transfer him to neighbouring Tregantle beach via their inshore rescue boat, where vehicle access is available.

He was reunited with his family in the car park above the beach before they made their way to hospital for further treatment.

Charlie added: “This incident unfolded extremely quickly and highlights how rapidly a situation can escalate.

“Although the family know Sharrow beach well, it serves as an important reminder of how important it is to go to a lifeguarded beach where trained lifesavers can react quickly to an incident and prevent a potentially tragic outcome.”

“The area the incident happened is difficult at all stages of the tide, it can look quite inviting, especially when the sea is choppy, but it is deep and there is a strong current that runs out to sea.

“We’ve responded to a number of incidents in this area over the years, but thanks to the quick reactions of our lifeguards, we’ve been able to step in and help people before situations become more serious.

“We always encourage people to swim between the red and yellow flags, where lifeguards are actively monitoring the water and can respond immediately if needed.

“We wish the father a speedy recovery from his knee injury and hope the family will return to the beach in the future.”