Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Lad, 13, saves his unconscious dad in sea drama
A BOY of 13 saved his father from the freezing sea after their kayak began sinking.
Paul Rowlands and son Joe were forced to swim towards a rock but firefighter Paul, 50, became unconscious with hypothermia.
Joe, who had scrambled up the rock, dived back in and dragged his 15-stone dad to safety.
He then carried out heart massage and mouth-to-mouth before his father regained consciousness. After two-and-a-half hours a coastguard helicopter winched the pair to safety off Anglesey, North Wales. Reliving the drama off Ynys Dulas, dad Paul said: “Joe said he thought we were going to die and his final wish was a kiss from me.
“Although I reassured him that we would be fine, the thought also crossed my mind.”
Mr Rowland said he told his son he loved him and kissed him before they swam away.
He added: “Our only chance was a rock halfway between us and the shore half a mile away.” Paul, of Nantwich, Cheshire, passed out several times in the water. His final memory was seeing Joe on the rock 100 yards away and thinking that his son was safe.
After reviving his dad, Joe started to shout at him to keep him awake as hypothermia set in. He managed to get them across rocks to a small island with a tower for shipwrecked sailors. They were saved after wife and mother Julie Ann raised the alarm.
Paul said: “Joe saved my life. I can never really repay him. I’m extremely proud.”