What Is Wrong With Lifeguarding?

These are the dates for monitoring swimmers at Aberavon Beach in 2021...

Aberavon is a popular beach with surfers and day visitors and locals alike.

This was the news story relating to 24th April 2021:

Jack Walton, 14 (left) and Theo Spiteri, 15 (right) "undoubtedly'"saved two girls from drowning at Aberavon beach

Two teenage surfers "undoubtedly" saved two young girls from drowning in the sea on Saturday afternoon.Theo Spiteri, 15, and his cousin Jack Walton, 14, both from Cardiff, spotted two girls struggling in the water at Aberavon beach some 150m away from the shore.Both girls had jumped into the sea from the jetty, wearing just bikinis, and immediately started panicking in the cold water. 

Spiteri was paddling in the shallows with his board when he noticed one of the girls, in particular, finding it difficult to breathe. 

Wearing a wetsuit, the St Teilo's Church in Wales High School pupil grabbed his board without thinking and paddled as hard as he could to help.

Port Talbot Coastguard said Jack and Theo 'undoubtedly helped to save two lives today'

"I got one of the girls on my board," said Theo. 

"She seemed to be having a panic attack and the other one seemed okay." 

He instructed the second girl to hold onto the back of his board and tried to paddle them both in. 

After about 20m of hard work, Jack arrived with his board and between them, they were able to get both girls out of the water and paddle them to shore.Once the girls were safely on land, the emergency services had arrived including the Port Talbot Coastguard, the Welsh Ambulance Service and officers from South Wales Police.The coastguard team thanked the two boys saying: "Thank you to the two young surfers who rescued the two swimmers, they undoubtedly helped to save two livestoday."The family had been visiting their grandparents in Aberavon on Saturday when their day took an unexpected dramatic turn.

A spokesman for the Port Talbot Coastguard said it had been tasked just before 5pm to the report of two young swimmers in difficulty at Aberavon beach. 

They said: "The two swimmers were rescued from the water by two young members of the public who were surfing nearby.""We provided Immediate casualty care whilst the ambulance was en route. Once the casualties received treatment they were taken to the waiting ambulance.""South Wales Police were also in attendance to help with this."They also thanked the two women who provided immediate care until help arrived.

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This is one beach in Wales in fine sunny and warm weather and ay a weekend and during a period when many are being paid not to work.

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