New Scarborough RNLI lifeguard marks busy first summer as season comes to an end

Sarah joining the RNLI coincides with the charity’s 200th anniversary and she has many stories to tell as the 2024 lifeguarding season comes to an end this week.

From the very beginning, she was called upon to attend first aid incidents and needed to put her casualty care training to good use helping poorly and injured members of the public.

Then, on Monday August 5 at 3.30pm, Sarah assisted a grandfather and two children on a paddleboard at Sandsend Beach near Whitby. They were getting swept out to sea by offshore winds, Sarah quickly took a rescue board and paddled out to bring them back to shore.

Another prominent rescue for Sarah happened the following day at 2pm (Tuesday, August 6) at Saltburn Beach. Two young boys had found themselves stranded on a sandbank 50 metres offshore as a fast tide came in around them.

The boys tried to swim back to shore but didn’t realise how deep the water was and got into difficulty. A member of public fully clothed had gone in the water after them to help, she reached the two boys but was in difficulty herself. Sarah used her rescue board to paddle out to them. All three casualties got on the board as Sarah swam and dragged it back to safety on the shore. Sarah said: “Being a lifeguard is great as an average day at the office, meaning the beach is never the same. I have learnt valuable skills and put them in action. I have really enjoyed my first season as a lifeguard, all the hard work and training pays of when I am able to help people.

“As the lifeguarding season comes to an end this week, we urge people to still follow RNLI water safety advice.

“Check weather conditions when heading in the water, don’t use inflatables, paddleboards or kayaks in offshore winds.

“If caught in a rip current swim parallel to the shore.”

As the lifeguarding season ends, Sarah is now going into the first year of sixth form, to study Biology, Maths and Chemistry.