It was 4:30 pm on July 26, a Sunday, when a father in distress saw his two children being dragged by a water tank at Praia dos Caldeirões, in Vila Praia de Âncora, in the municipality of Caminha.
The parent launched in search of saving them but ended up also being trapped in the current that forms on that unsecured beach, eventually needing help as well.
Adult and two children rescued with sea life in Vila Praia de Âncora
Quickly, three people took the risk so that this story today can be told as an adventure that had a happy ending.
Thanks to the two lifeguards. Photo: Disclosure / JF Vila Praia de Âncora
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Thanks to the surfer. Photo: Disclosure / JF Vila Praia de Âncora
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While the surfer Diogo Cerquinha helped his father with his board, the two lifeguards from the coordinated Decimal association, who patrol the coast between Caminha and Viana do Castelo, launched themselves into the sea and managed to rescue the two children alive.
The occurrence was reported first hand by O MINHO and did not go unnoticed by the national media or by the executive of the parish council, who quickly took responsibility of lifeguards on a beach that never had them.
This Friday, the municipality handed out plaques of praise to the two lifeguards, the surfer, and to the surf schools in the region, for their work in helping lives at sea, when they need it.
Junta de Vila Praia de Âncora thanks lifeguards who avoided tragedy
On the praise plaques you can read epithets of “courage and bravery” for risking their lives to save two children, 10 and 12 years old, and their father.
Acknowledgment. Photo: Disclosure / JF Vila Praia de Âncora
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Acknowledgment. Photo: Disclosure / JF Vila Praia de Âncora
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Acknowledgment. Photo: Disclosure / JF Vila Praia de Âncora
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The rescue
An adult and two children, aged 10 and 12, were rescued at 4:30 pm on July 26, alive, from the sea at Praia dos Caldeirões, in Vila Praia de Âncora, after being dragged by the current.
According to what MINHO learned, the two children ended up moving away from the coast, being dragged in a water bowl, asking for help from their father who was in the water, but still some distance away.
The parent tried to reach the children and also asked for help for the beach area.
The rescue team on a 4 × 4 rescue boat from the Association of Swimmers-Lifeguards “Decimal Coordination” realized that something was not right and its two elements, Pedro Maruga and Gonçalo Oliveira, went overboard to save the people in distress.
Photo: O MINHO
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During the rescue, they were helped by a surfer who realized the situation.
Both the father and the two children were removed alive from the sea water, not winning for the scare.
The children’s own father admitted that he would no longer be able to save them.
The three ended up suffering nothing but the shock of the situation, not needing hospital transport, although they were advised to go to the hospital in Viana as a precaution.
MINHO contacted Pedro Verne, coordinator of that association of lifeguards, who praised the work of the operatives.
Photo: O MINHO
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“We were alerted to the situation from a third person who called us and we had our support van and Amarok (Instituto de Socorro a Náufragos), with oxygen and defibrillator, if necessary,” said the person in charge, who was part of the support van team together with rescuer João Afonso.
“We transported the victims from the sand zone to the road to provide assistance,” he said.
Pedro Verne leaves wide praise for the “phenomenal” intervention of the members of the lifeguards team allocated in Caminha with the quad-bike for having the wit to see that something was wrong and to be able to rescue the victims in good time.
Photo: O MINHO
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Also, thanks to the surfer who helped in the rescue operation.
Public thanks from the board
A week after the rescue, the Vila Praia de Âncora Parish Council thanked the prompt intervention of the two lifeguards.
In a note published on social networks, the municipality highlighted the patrolling of personnel, on a 4 × 4 motorcycle, on that non-concessioned beach, congratulating itself on having made the request to the Câmara de Caminha for the area to be monitored during this bathing season.
According to that organization, “a great tragedy” was avoided after, before the bathing season, the President of the Board presented a video during a preparatory meeting for the bathing season, which was aware of the “imminent danger” in the face of “non-surveillance ”Of that space, habitually frequented by several bathers.
The board says that it was thanks to this video that the Câmara de Caminha asked for the aforementioned 4 × 4 motorcycle, belonging to the association of lifeguards Coordinated Decimal, to patrol that beach.
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