Two scouts rescued at Woodend

Press, 9 January 1987, Page 4

Two scouts rescued at Woodend

A lone Woodend Beach lifeguard saved two Wellington scouts after they got into difficulties while swimming at the beach yesterday afternoon. One of the boys, a 14-year-old from Porirua, became unconscious from fright and shock while the lifeguard, Shane Bradford, aged 18, was towing both boys in to shore on a rubber tube about 2.20 p.m.

The boy, whose name and condition were not available last evening,

was later taken to Christchurch Hospital by the Rangiora St John Ambulance. The boys were swimming with a group of 30 scouts and five scout masters from the jamboree, and had become “over enthusiastic” about getting into the water, said Mr Bradford.

“They had not been to a beach many times, and were not used to the waves,” he said. “One of the boys got scared, so I went in and got him with the tube, and

while I was towing him in I saw the other boy in trouble, so I grabbed him as well and* made him hang on to the tube, so I could tow them both in.” The boys were frightened, and as Mr Bradford was negotiating them over a big set of waves that were rolling in off the bar, a second set of waves hit one of the boys in the face, and he lost consciousness.

Once ashore, the boy had revived, but was shocked, exhausted and

sleepy, so Mr Bradford had called an ambulance.

The boy was revived by members of the Rangiora St John Ambulance Brigade, but had soon fallen asleep again with exhaustion, said Mr Bradford.

Mr Bradford said Woodend was a "safe beach,” but the boys were inexperienced and had been caught by the outgoing tide, a northerly drift and a southerly wind.

He said he had felt quite confident throughout the rescue, as it was just

part of a job that came naturally to him after three years as a paid lifeguard for the Waikuku Life-Saving Club, and three years as a voluntary lifeguard. The controller of the Canterbury lifeguard squad, Mr Geoff Barry, said, although Mr Bradford was young, he had had plenty of experience and was a competent lifeguard. “He did a good job, just as I would have expected," said Mr Barry.