A local lifesaver has been thrust into the national limelight after being picked as the face of a water safety campaign.
Liam Fayle-Parr started lifeguarding for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 2011 and worked for the lifeguard service until 2019 on beaches between Hemsby and Southwold.
And now he has been picked to front its Water Safety Wednesdays campaign, hosting web sessions for children.
He said: “Like many others, I am now working from home.
“The RNLI media team invited me to host 15 minutes long ‘Facebook Live’ sessions called ‘Water Safety Wednesdays’ aimed at helping educate children about essential water safety.
“These were broadcast for six weeks from my kitchen on the outskirts of Lowestoft.”
Following the recent easing of nationwide lockdown restrictions in England and with children still off school, many more people are expected to visit the coast to exercise and take part in water-based activities.
Ahead of the bank holiday weekend, the RNLI and HM Coastguard has launched a new beach safety campaign, urging parents to protect their families by following key safety advice to save lives.
According to HM Coastguard, coastguard rescue teams from around the UK were called out 194 times over the weekend just gone to a range of incidents.
There were 84 callouts nationally on Saturday, May 16 and a further 109 incidents on Sunday, May 17, which proved to be the second busiest day of the year so far for the coastguards as significant numbers of people took to the water.
With the latest campaign launching on Thursday, May 21, and with beach lifeguard patrols significantly reduced this summer, the RNLI and HM Coastguard are urging the public not to use inflatables at all.
And for everyone, especially parents, planning a visit to a beach or the coast it is important to follow this safety advice:
? Have a plan - check the weather forecast and tide times.
? Keep a close eye on your family – on the beach and in the water
? Don’t allow your family to swim alone.
? Don’t use inflatables.
? If you fall into the water unexpectedly, Float To Live.
? In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Mr Fayle-Parr added: “This advice is designed to come in useful when the time comes for more people to start thinking about visiting beaches and inland waters again.”
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