A 14-year-old’s relaxing day out took a dramatic turn when she came to the rescue of two struggling swimmers in a lake.
Rosie Martin, who is a student at Harrytown Catholic High School in Romiley, Stockport, was out paddle boarding with her family at Llyn Tregid – Lake Bala – in Wales, when she spotted two young swimmers getting into difficulty.
As the rest of the family were still getting ready on the beach, Rosie was the only one who could see the young girls, who were clearly beginning to panic and sinking lower and lower into the water.
Recognising the danger Rosie paddled out to the swimmers and realised the only course of action was to get them on to her paddleboard. She entered the water and helped haul them both onto her paddle board before towing the girls more than 25 metres to safety.
Luckily Rosie, who has been a swimmer at Life Leisure Romiley for many years, had completed the ‘Rookie Lifeguard Course’, which gave her the confidence to act quickly and confidently.
Her mum Kym said: “If she hadn’t had her Rookie training I dread to think about the outcome.
“On paddling out Rosie had unconsciously assessed all the people around her, clocked two that were most at risk and watched them. After she returned them safely to shore and checked they were ok, she grabbed her paddle and headed back out like nothing had happened.”
She added that the two girls had misjudged the depth of the lake and thought they could walk to safety if they got tired. With Rosie showing impressive strength and determination pulling both girls to safety.
She said: “We are so proud of Rosie, she saw an issue and acted quickly and instinctively. It was amazing to see all her skills in action and carried out with such confidence!
“This really highlights the importance of water safety. If it makes one person think before they enter the water, it’s a good thing.”
Rosie completed the Rookie Lifeguard Course at Life Leisure in Romiley last year.
Designed for children who have completed Junior Swimming Lessons at Life Leisure, it gives children training on being water safe in the pool and in open water, teaching them personal survival, rescue and lifesaving skills.
Mike, who leads the Rookie training at Life leisure, said: “These courses are important in helping children gain confidence in the pool and in arming them with the skills they may someday need to help themselves or others who get into difficulty. This incident just goes to show how crucial it is for youngsters to learn to be strong and competent swimmers.
“Rosie is a true hero. We are very proud of her.” To find out more about swimming lessons at Life Leisure go to www.lifeleisure.net/swimminglessons/, or, to find out more about the Rookie course, go to www.lifeleisure.net/swimming-development/
