Sheppey beach rescue survivor: 'I was seconds from death'
- sheppeyscene
- Jul 30, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 28
A swimmer saved from drowning has praised his three school children rescuers.
Wayne Sullivan, 63, was plucked from the sea off the Isle of Sheppey by the alert youngsters aged 12 to 13 while adults allegedly looked on and did nothing.
Mr Sullivan, who spent four days in intensive care, said from his home in Minster: “If it hadn’t been for those three, I wouldn’t be here now.
“Those lovely kids took charge of the situation and used their initiative to pull me out of the water and onto the beach. Their bravery saved my life. I am such a lucky man.”
The former Royal Marine who served in the Falklands needed his lungs pumped clear of water and now has pneumonia.
But he vowed: “When I am better I’d love to meet them. I am so grateful.”
He added: “I was told later that other grown up bystanders on the beach were just standing around filming it. Luckily, these kids could see I was in a very bad way. They were extremely brave to do what they did. I must have had angels on my side.”
He said: “I’m normally a very strong swimmer and quite fit for a 63-year-old. It’s not unusual for me to swim to the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery bomb ship and back.
“I was feeling a bit down so I went for a swim to cheer myself up. The water was very calm and flat and I was enjoying the swim immensely.
“I was about three-quarters of a mile out when I decided to head back and realised the tide had turned and I was swimming against it.
“Then I suffered a severe attack of cramp in one leg where I have an arthritic knee.
“My leg seized from my ankle to my thigh. I was swimming with just one leg. I have never had cramp like it.”
He went on: “Because of my military training, I didn’t panic. But I started to sink and I went under half a dozen times. I tried to float on my back but I had exhausted myself and started to submerge.
“I began swallowing water and became disorientated. It felt like my time had come.
“Those brilliant, lovely kids are proper heroes. They waded out and dragged me in and put me on the beach and called the ambulance. They put me in the recovery position and knew about CPR.
“I am so grateful. If it had not been for them, I wouldn’t be here now. It shows there are some really good youngsters around.”
Doctors later said three-quarters of his lungs were flooded and that his oxygen levels were less than10%.
Mr Sullivan, who is suffering from the effects of pneumonia brought on by his ordeal, said: “People knock the NHS and Medway Maritime Hospital but the staff were so professional. I am such a very lucky man. I was seconds from dying. When doctors called my family from the hospital they said I only had a 50-50 chance of surviving.”
The drama happened at lunch time on Wednesday (July 24) on The Leas at Minster.
Max Markham, a 12-year-old pupil from Borden Grammar School, was celebrating the first week of the school summer holidays on the beach with his cousin Ella Selfe and her friend Jersie Wiles.
The girls are both13 and go to Highsted Girls Grammar in Sittingbourne.
Max from Charlock Drive, Minster, said: “We were having a paddle when we noticed a man struggling in the water.
“I swam over to see if he was all right but he was gasping for air and trying to reach out to me. So I grabbed his arm to help him.
“Ella was still in the shallows so I called her over to come to help me get him out.”
Ella from Beckley Road, Sheerness, said: “I swam over to grab the man’s other arm to help Max take him in. By the time we got him to the edge of the water, Jersie had already run to the Sweet Hut to get help and a woman came down to help us.
“We had all of the man’s weight on us because he was so weak.”
Max said: “Together we dragged him out. Jersie had run to the Sweet Hut because no one else was helping us on the beach.
“A lady came down to help. We had the man out of the water and laid him down on some towels.
“While we were doing that, Jersie rang for the ambulance.”
Jersie from Kent Avenue, Minster, called the emergency services.
She said: “I rang the ambulance and got through and they asked me lots of questions. It was the first time I had ever dialled 999. It was quite scary because I was in shock as well. But I had to do it to get the help the man needed.
“I was doing that while everyone else was trying to support the man. The ambulance came quite quickly.”
She added: “We stayed with the man when the first ambulance arrived but when the second came we decided it was best to walk off and leave it to them.”
Max said: “Looking back, it doesn’t feel real. It was quite scary.”
Luckily, all three are good swimmers.
Max said: “That definitely helped.”
It is the second year running the RNLI has been unable to provide lifeguards to patrol that stretch of coastline because of a lack of recruits.
Max, who captains the Sheppey United under-13s football team, said: “It’s not that great because when people are struggling there is no one to help them.”
Ella, who also captains the Sheerness East under-14s boys’ football squad, added: “Especially when it was just us kids and people were just watching us get a man out of the water and they weren’t helping. There were loads of adults sitting on the beach and just watching us.
“If there had been lifeguards they could have helped us.”
Jersie, a member of Sheerness Swimming Club team, said: “When I went into the Sweet Hut they said they didn’t have anyone medically trained so that wasn’t helpful. Lifeguards are definitely needed.”
Volunteers from Sheppey St John Ambulance are now providing first aid cover along the beach from 10am to 4pm every weekend and bank holiday until September 1.
Asked if he’d give any advice to swimmers, Max said: “Don’t swim alone so at least you have someone to help you if you get into difficulties.”
Mr Sullivan said: “It is appalling there are no lifeguards along that beach.”
All the parents have praised their quick thinking children.
Max’s mum Anneka said: “We are all really proud of the way they acted.
“Their quick thinking saved a man’s life. They were in the right place at the right time and did all the right things. Max saw someone in trouble and his nature is to help, so that's exactly what he did on the day.”
Ella’s mum Bex Selfe said: “They were really brave and confident. It's really nice to have some good feedback about your children.
“Both Max's family and myself feel passionately about making sure they can swim well because we've always lived on the Island.”
Jersie’s dad Ross Wiles said: “We are massively proud. They saved his life and prevented a family from suffering.”
Their actions were first highlighted on social media by Jade Williams, who saw the incident unfold and praised the youngsters.
She wrote: “To the parents of Max Markham, Ella Selfe and Jersie Wiles. Please know that your kids have just done an incredible thing.
“Between them they pulled a man out of the water at the beach, stayed with him and called an ambulance.”
Their heroism was also brought up at Swale Borough Council’s full meeting on Thursday night by Sheerness councillor Dolley Wooster.
The Labour councillor said: “They decided not to walk away and made tricky decisions under pressure, including a very professional 999 call.
“We are incredibly proud of them. A lot of adults could learn from that type of behaviour.
“There is a certain perception of our young people. They aren’t ‘feral’ – they are of excellent quality.”
A spokeswoman for South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed it received reports of a swimmer in need of medical attention at Minster Leas around 1pm on Wednesday.
She added: “Crews assessed and treated one person at the scene before taking them to Medway Maritime Hospital for further medical treatment.”
In July 2023, Swale council, which covers the wages for lifeguards on Sheppey, announced that Minster beach would no longer have a patrol because of difficulties recruiting.
Instead, the RNLI has focussed its seven days a week Island cover on Sheerness and Leysdown.
A Swale Borough Council spokesman said last year: “The council has worked with the RNLI for 10 years to provide lifeguard cover at Swale’s bathing beaches, with incidents remaining low.
“In recent years the RNLI has struggled to recruit local lifeguards and has been relying on bringing in people from other areas to cover our beaches.
“Now, for a range of global reasons, other areas are also struggling to recruit so the pool of specially trained lifeguards is smaller.
“Because of this, the RNLI has taken a decision based on risk assessments to prioritise the busy Leysdown beach and Sheerness beach where the currents are more likely to catch people unaware.
“This means the quieter Minster Leas beach will not have a lifeguard presence this year and despite meeting all of the rest of criteria such as water quality will be unable to fly the Blue Flag.”
Charlie Frame, RNLI Lead Lifeguard Supervisor also said last year: “Despite our best efforts, we have struggled to find new recruits to fill all the roles we have. But we’re confident the cover being provided is appropriate for the risk profiles of the Island’s beaches.
“We did have several local people interested in what is a fantastic summer job but they either didn’t complete their application or weren’t able to meet the necessary standard for working on open water.”
Official advice is to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if you see anyone in trouble in the sea.
If you would like to become a lifeguard visit the RNLI's Find a Job webpage. It pays £12.30 to £14.10 an hour.
Watch exclusive video of the youngsters here https://youtu.be/MI5d8hbmTG4
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