The moment a boy was rescued from sea water next to Burnham-On-Sea’s jetty on Saturday afternoon (May 30th) has been captured on video.
A member of the public dived in to help a father who was seen frantically splashing in the water while helping the boy.
An eyewitness on the seafront who saw the incident unfold immediately called Burnham Coastguards to the scene.
“There was a loud scream from the end of the jetty followed by the sight of a fully-clothed member of the public jumping into the water to help the father and a boy get to safety,” he said.
“Fortunately, all three of them managed to make it back to the jetty despite struggling against the fast-flowing water for a few seconds. The father shook hands with the rescuer and they want on their way.”
“It was a clear reminder to me of that terrible day in August 2012 when a young boy lost his life by drowning in the water at the same spot.”
Burnham Coastguards, who were on patrol further along the beach, quickly arrived on scene and gave safety advice and called other people back from the end of the jetty. They asked them to heed the warning signs and to keep away from the end of the jetty.
Earlier this month, in a separate incident, a father and daughter were saved by a member of the public at the end of Burnham jetty.
In 2012, Dylan Cecil, a four year-old, died after a fall from the jetty. His body was sadly found washed up near Burnham Sailing Club after a four day search by rescue crews.
A Coastguard spokesman says: “We understand that not everyone comes from a coastal community and if you have never been warned of the dangers it is easy to end up in difficulty.”
“Our jetty is not a place to hang out and reach the water from, a small amount of water can and will easily take you off your feet dragging you into the current.”
“Children are particularly at risk of this and even with a parent close by it still isn’t safe.”
“In the last week, we have attended two incidents of children unintentionally entering the water having to be rescued by other members of the public. This places all concerned in a substantial amount of danger and could result in a tragic outcome.”
“Breaking that news to families and seeing the results of that is something we don’t want.”
