A schoolgirl told her sister one word to save her from drowning as they were swept out to sea.
Mabel, 12 and Elsie Smith, 10, from Birkenhead, were on holiday with their parents in Barmouth, Wales, back in August. They were playing in the water when they started to get into difficulty.
Mum Milena, who has recently learned to swim, heard her daughters "screaming loudly" and they began drifting further and further out. The mum rang 999 straight away and asked for the coastguard while her husband went into the sea.
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Mabel had drifted a quarter of a mile further out to sea on a fast outgoing tide when she was dramatically rescued. Her younger sister Elsie, 10, had instructed her sister to "float" on her back after hearing the RNLI advice during a swimming lesson.
The RNLI's advice for anyone struggling in water unexpectedly is "float to live". The charity said a persons instinct would tell them to swim hard, however the cold water shock could make them gasp uncontrollably.
Then they could breathe in water and drown and should therefore "float to live". The family were eventually reunited thanks to the amazing work of the Barmouth RNLI crew.
The family said they are indebted to the RNLI crew at Barmouth who returned Mabel to the safety of the shore. Since the rescue in August, Milena has thrown herself into fundraising for the RNLI, putting herself out of her comfort zone to ensure crews in Barmouth can continue returning loved ones to their families in the same way they experienced.
As a non-swimmer, Milena has vowed to learn this vital life skill following the rescue and has pledged to swim 30 lengths to raise funds for the RNLI by the summer. On Monday, the Barmouth crew travelled to Hoylake Lifeboat Station, where Milena was being inducted as a new volunteer.
The Barmouth RNLI crew surprised her during the emotional reunion by handing over gifts to the family to thank them for their bravery, kindness and support.
Milena has already raised hundreds of pounds for the RNLI by walking, but is now looking forward to spreading vital safety advice on the Wirral.
She said: "Before the rescue, I never really knew or appreciated what these fantastic volunteers do and I cannot begin to express my gratitude to them for keeping us all together as a family. Our Christmas will be that little bit more special this year and we’ll cherish the time we spend together just that little bit more, as we had come incredibly close to losing Mabel.
"I honestly thought I may have lost them all, it was like a scene from a nightmare. From the moment we were all reunited thanks to the RNLI crew at Barmouth, I knew I wanted to do anything I could to support the charity.
"At the time I couldn’t swim and I spent a lot of time reflecting on how helpless that made me feel. I promised the crew I would learn how to swim and have kept to my word, as I want to complete a fundraising swim for the RNLI in the summer.
"The first few lessons were tough and I struggled just to get in the pool, but after six lessons, I swam my first length. I’m so incredibly grateful to my teachers for their kindness and support, they have been brilliant."
The RNLI is launching its Christmas appeal, as the charity asks for help to continue its lifesaving work at sea. To make a donation to the RNLI’s Christmas Appeal visit here.
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