A DRAMATIC rescue has been captured on camera after a former lifeguard spotted a swimmer in trouble from the cliff side near Boscombe.

Carl Draper, a former Bournemouth lifeguard and photographer, spotted the female swimmer going under and being swept against the groyne as he walked up the Portman Ravine zigzag between Boscombe and Southbourne. No one on the beach seemed aware of what was happening.

Moments later a lifeguard raced to help her, having spotted her from the other side of the groyne, even though she was swimming outside the flagged area.

Carl, from Boscombe, told the Echo: "She was drowning. She wasn't somebody who was panicking and had gotten into difficulties, she was at the stage where she was exhausted and going under."

He added: "He did really well to spot her, especially from where she was on the other side of the groyne. Nobody else had seen her and she wasn't coming out by herself at that stage. She was under the water and getting washed against the groynes."

He posted the video on Facebook to show support for the lifesaving work of the RNLI lifeguards.

 

Walking up the hill after an awesome walk with the dog I spotted this young girl in difficulty in the water, she was going under and being washed against the groyne, which is covered in sharp barnacles. This Lifeguard had already spotted the girl, he then safely rescued her from the water. No one on the beach saw her going under, but the Lifeguard spotted her from the opposite side of the groyne where she was almost completely out of view and not swimming between the red and yellow flags!Respect to all of our Lifeguards, both RNLI and voluntary. There is hundreds of people in the water today, the Lifeguard did amazingly well to spot her and get to her in time, Awesome! RNLI Lifeguards Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch #rnli #respectthewater

Posted by Waveslider Photography on Sunday, August 9, 2015