RNLI praise quick-thinking boys who helped save life of marina bike plunge man:
RNLI say they did all the right things, fast
TWO hero boys helped save the life of a man who fell from his bike and into the sea at Holyhead Marina.
The boys, aged 12 and 13, leapt into action after a man fell from his bike and hit his head before falling into the water.
The man was left clinging onto a pontoon and struggling to stay afloat after his fall, and the boys, who were on their bikes nearby when the incident happened on Monday, quickly raised the alarm.
A spokesman for Holyhead RNLI said: “Using great initiative and common sense, one stayed with the man, while the other ran to the lifeboat station to get help.
“As luck would have it, two of our volunteers, Holly and Mark, were busy tending to our Garden of Remembrance, which is outside the station, and Holly heard a cry for help from the boy.
“The boy led them straight to the casualty, who was struggling to hang on.”
The RNLI volunteers grabbed a nearby life ring, placed it around the man and succeeded in hauling him from the water.
The spokesman added: “The two boys were asked to further assist by calling an ambulance, which they did immediately.
“While waiting for the ambulance, another of our crew, Jay, who is a Holy Island ambulance first responder, was contacted, and he attended the scene with a colleague.
“The man was treated at the scene for hypothermia and later taken to hospital by ambulance for further checks.”
Holyhead RNLI’s coxswain Tony Price said that the two boys had “undoubtedly helped save the man’s life”.
He said: “These two boys are a fantastic credit to Holyhead.
“Young people often get a bad press, but this incident shows how they have listened to the safety messages we give out, used their wits and acted very quickly.
“They knew not to put themselves at risk by trying to pull him out themselves, and instead to go and get help.”
He added: “It was an absolutely first-class response from them both, and the crew and myself are so proud of their efforts today.
“We all wish the man a full and speedy recovery from his ordeal today, and thanks also to the first responders, rapid response paramedic and the ambulance crew for their assistance.”