A mum taught herself to swim after her daughters nearly drowned at sea.
Milena Smith, from Birkenhead, was enjoying a day out in Barmouth, Wales, with her husband and their two daughters in August last year. Mabel, 12, and Elsie, 10, were playing in the water when they started to struggle in the water. Melina, who could not swim at the time, was forced to watch helplessly as the sisters started screaming in panic and began drifting out to sea.
Milena shouted to her husband who managed to get Elsie to safety, however, Mabel was completely out of sight, having been swept a quarter of a mile offshore. One year after the ordeal, the mum-of-two decided to take to the water to raise money for the RNLI who helped to save her children
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Melina from Poland said: "I grew up in south Poland and was never really exposed to the sea as a child so I have always had a fear of it. On the day I was just watching them from the shore and everything appeared safe.
"Other people were in the water and they did not seem that far in and then I heard the screaming and saw them clinging to each other. My husband ran in to get them and I called the coastguard, I remember not being able to breathe."
Before being pulled to safety, Elsie remembered what she had learned about the RNLI’s Float to Live advice during swimming lessons at school and began frantically shouting for her sister to "float like a starfish". Mabel was eventually rescued by the coastguard.
Melina said: "In a split second we were in the middle of an amazing holiday and everything turned so quickly. My husband managed to get hold of Elsie but my other daughter just kept going further out to sea."
The 37-year-old is certain had it not been for the RNLI crew at Barmouth, her girls would not be here today. One month after the girls were rescued, Milena took a brave step to learn this vital life skill by taking her first-ever swimming lesson at Calday Grange Pool.
She said: "The first time was nerve racking but now I love it so much, and it has opened my mind to new experiences. It's so strange but now I find it so relaxing."
She is now facing her ultimate fear to raise funds for a charity close to her heart. Milena has pledged to swim 20 lengths every day throughout June to raise money for the RNLI. If you would like to donate to the page more information can be found here.
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