Child Rescued at St Lucia

An off-duty NSRI St Lucia crew member and his brother, a former NSRI crewman, found themselves in exactly the right place at exactly the right time on Saturday, when they spotted a young girl in trouble in the shallow surf at Main Beach.

At 13h50 on Saturday, 18 July, NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Main Beach, St Lucia.

NSRI rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene, while the duty crew made their way to the NSRI St Lucia Station 40 rescue base to prepare to dispatch the rescue vehicle and an NSRI rescue craft.

At the time, an NSRI St Lucia crew member and his brother, a former NSRI St Lucia crewman, happened to be at Main Beach nearby when the incident unfolded. They noticed the child in distress in the shallow surf and responded immediately, raising the alarm and bringing the unconscious 10-year-old girl to shore, where she regained consciousness.

When the responding NSRI crew arrived on the scene, NSRI medics provided medical treatment to stabilise the child. She was then transported to hospital by her local family members and is expected to make a full recovery.

It is suspected that the child may have experienced a medical condition, causing her to lose consciousness while swimming in shallow water.

NSRI St Lucia station commander Melinda Snyman commended the swift actions of the off-duty volunteer and his brother, whose quick response contributed to the child's life being saved, as well as the swift response of the NSRI St Lucia duty crew.