Isle of Wight student lifeguards heroes of the hour

The pair ­— weak swimmers who had been walking along a concrete groyne on Tuesday ­— fell into the sea unexpectedly ­and found themselves out of their depth.

And while it's been a quieter summer than most for Todd Miller and his team of Ryde Beach Lifeguards (RBL), their contribution on the evening showed their importance.

A doctor, who was on holiday, stepped in to assist, and the pair were taken to St Mary's Hospital for treatment.

The beach lifeguards had been alerted to two bathers struggling near i-surf, and head lifeguard, Jacob Jenner, immediately responded with a rescue board.

He was accompanied by 16-year-old Joe Carter, who was carrying a first response bag and greeted his colleague and the casualties at the shore.

Joe Caddick, also 16, liaised with Coastguard teams and called the ambulance service.

The boy had swallowed water, and was at risk of suffering from secondary drowning ­— a condition which can lead to death.

Jacob and Joe Carter, together with Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Team members, provided aftercare at the shore until the ambulance arrived.

RBL beach manager, Todd, said both the boy and his mother were suffering from shock and shaken up by the ordeal.

Meet the team

Jacob Jenner out on the water.

Jacob Jenner is an A-Level student in his third season with RBL and has a wealth of experience under his belt.

He learnt to swim at Waterside Pool and later became a club swimmer at Ryde Swimming Club.

“If we weren’t on duty, the casualties wouldn’t have received the professional and knowledgeable service from us, and the consequences could have been life threatening," said Jacob.

"I'm really proud of my team, and being able to give back to the community.”

Joe Carter, meanwhile, had just turned 16 when he completed his pre-season training for RBL earlier this year.

Joe Carter training to deal with weaver fish stings.

Lifeguarding is his first job and he similarly learnt to swim at Waterside, progressing to become an international-standard competitive swimmer, having recently trained with the GB team.

“If we weren’t there, the coastguard may not have been called, nor the ambulance, which could have had resulted in fatalities," said Joe.

Finally, Joe Caddick was tasked with communicating with the team and the emergency services.

Joe Caddick on Sandown beach,

Joe and his family are always in and around water, surfing, kayaking and the like. His older sister, Annie, was a beach lifeguard for RBL last year and left a lasting impression.

Beach lifeguarding is his first job and he's working in an environment he loves.

“If we weren’t on duty, the casualties wouldn’t have had that instant first response from us," said Joe.

"We were able to quickly take control of the situation and ensure the casualties received the most appropriate aftercare.

"The coastguard were really helpful and prompt in assisting us, so we would like to thank them for their invaluable help.”

"RBL is really proud to have a presence at Sandown again," said Todd.

Todd Miller and Kat Elliott in action.

"And with the continued support of Sandown Town Council, we hope to have a more permanent structure in place for the lifeguards next summer.

"We have worked throughout the summer, with the team completing multiple rescues and many more first aids.

"Our beach lifeguards undergo extensive training, and it really shines through during incidents such as these."