Rescuer urges children on SUP boards to wear life jackets

Liis Sinitamm, who swam out to help three children swept offshore on a stand up paddleboard at Vainupea beach, has urged children using SUP boards to wear life jackets, ERR reported.

Sinitamm is among 92 people receiving Rescue Board service medals from the president and the Rescue Board on Wednesday. Thirty seven of the recipients are being honoured for saving human lives.

She was at the beach with friends when an offshore wind quickly carried the three children, who had been playing near the shore, out to sea. An adult accompanying them tried to swim after them but had to turn back after running out of strength.

Sinitamm decided to swim out to the children.

“I felt that it was not too far for me and that I could reach them. Maybe that comes from growing up there. I have swum in that sea,” she told the television programme Ringvaade.

When Sinitamm reached the children, she found that the wind was too strong for her to bring the board, carrying all three children, back to shore. She stayed with them while they waited for help.

She said she knew that the children’s mother had called the rescue service, so her priority was to keep everyone safe in the water until help arrived.

While they waited, Sinitamm tried to distract the children by talking to them about their ages, names, swimming ability, summer and what they had been doing at the beach. She also encouraged them by saying they were moving closer to shore, although they were making little actual progress.

At one point, the SUP board overturned and the wind made it impossible to retrieve it. Sinitamm focused on the youngest child, who was not as strong a swimmer as the others. The other two children were able to stay afloat.

She said she did not know the precise rescue hold but tried to ensure that the child held on to her without climbing on top of her and pulling them both underwater.

By then, the rescue service had also reached the beach. Local fishermen were the first to reach the people in distress at sea and brought them safely ashore.

Sinitamm said the incident showed the importance of wearing safety equipment when using a SUP board, noting that the children had not been wearing life jackets.

“Children should definitely have a life jacket on. Adults may still think about how and in what way they can swim from there, but children are a completely different matter,” she said.