Windsurfer rescued in Exmouth

Lifeguard's act captured on film

A young windsurfer has thanked an Exmouth RNLI lifeguard for saving his life after he became stranded at sea. 

At around 1pm on Friday 21 Augus), at Exmouth beach, the father of the windsurfer alerted lifeguards that his son was struggling in the water. The casualty had been taken out by the ebbing tide and was unable to get back to safety.

RNLI lifeguard Dom Brown quickly fired up his jet ski, located the casualty, and safely brought him back to shore.

After the rescue mission, Dom went back out sea to locate the windsurfer’s kit. The lifeguard requested the launch of Exmouth RNLI’s inshore lifeboat to recover the kit, which was drifting out to sea in the surf.

Henry Irvine, lead lifeguard supervisor for the area, said: "Lifeguard Dom Brown did a great job yesterday, quickly responding to and rescuing the casualty in challenging conditions.

"We are experiencing some dangerous sea conditions at the moment and Exmouth seafront is not a good place for beginner windsurfers at the best of times. 

"The RNLI is advising anyone heading to the coast to make sure they are going to a lifeguarded beach and heed the lifeguards’ advice. If you see a red flag at a lifeguarded beach, do not enter the water, as it is unsafe for any water activities. If there are no flags, there are no lifeguards."