Young junior lifeguard Cooper Timmerman-Friskney of the Sunset Beach lifeguard service and his friend Nico Dwen are aged 11 and 12. They have been involved in three after hours rescues. On the 9th of January they were out surfing when they assisted 3 people to safety using their surf boards while the father of one of the juniors helped a 4th to safety.
On the 10th January, Nico and Cooper were again surfing after lifeguards had gone off patrol when more swimmers and one on a boogie board needed to be rescued. This time they floated the patients with their surfboards and put up their hands for assistance. Two off duty lifeguards came to their assistance and helped the swimmers to shore.
The heat wave hitting New Zealand has driven people to the beach. Lifeguards are leaving for the day after warning swimmers they are going off duty and advising it not safe to continue swimming. On Saturday at 2pm there were 200 on the beach and 100 in the water. At 5pm closing for the lifeguards there were 150 on the beach and 50 still in the water. Today Sunday at 3pm there were 185 on the beach and 80 in the water. With outgoing afternoon tides and strong rips making it differcult for swimmers, lifeguards are continually active with preventative actions and rescues.
Last night (Saturday) at about 7pm, off duty Lifeguards were notified by Sunset Beach Juniors, Cooper Timmerman-Friskney and Indi Dwen (sister of Nico) of someone caught in a rip. 2 swimmers with tubes were sent out to search and 2 other lifeguards on knee boards. Swimmer was unable to be found so the IRB was launched while the lifeguards on boards searched for the swimmer. One Lifeguard on a board found the swimmer and assisted him until the IRB arrived. Swimmer was moved to IRB and taken back to beach. He was assessed by lifeguards, and no further action was required. Referred to doctor if condition declined. The patient was a 12-year-old boy from Tonga. He had only been in NZ for two weeks.
If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of these juniors, lives could have been lost. After hours swimmers at a dangerous surf beach should not expect these young ones to be putting their lives at risk to help them but that is what these Juniors only aged 11 and 12 have been doing. Maybe that is what they have been training for as juniors from age 8 but it is not till age 14 that they can become a lifeguard on patrol. These young junior lifeguards are heroes.
