The ocean can be a dangerous place, luckily we’ve got heroes like Daniel Kellond (12) to look out for those in need.
Kellond, a member of the Llandudno Surf Lifesaving Club, was with friends at Hout Bay Beach when he heard a scream in the distance. He noticed a child close to the rocks on the Chapman’s Peak end of the beach, who appeared to be in difficulty.
“The boy had jumped in from the rocks and probably did not know how deep it is. I was very nervous when I saw him, but I knew I had to do something to help,” Kellond told Sentinel News.
As the child continued to scream, Kellond sprung to action. He paddled toward the child, grabbed him and liften him onto his board before racing back to the shore.
“It was very difficult as he was clearly in panic mode, but I kept asking him to calm down otherwise he was going to make it difficult for both of us,” Daniel said.
“We were always taught to calm the person down as it makes rescuing the person much easier. The person can actually end up drowning the person doing the rescuing because of panic. So I tried my best to calm him down at that time.”
A group gathered on the shore to assist the boy, and Kellond went on to enjoy the rest of the day with his friends.
Thanks to Kellond’s quick-thinking, the young child was lucky to escape unscathed. Officer Paul Broxis of the Llandudno Surf Lifesaving Club expressed how proud he was of Kellond’s actions.
“I’m very proud of Daniel, who like many of our nippers has developed such a level of comfort in the ocean that they can look after themselves very well and also offer assistance to others if required.”
“I am sure our other nippers (8-14 years) will be hugely inspired by Daniel’s actions and we look forward to the new lifesaving season where we can continue to build these kids’ awareness and confidence in the sea – who knows when these skills will come in handy next.”
Picture: Pexels