Off-duty lifeguards save three people from drowning at Nessebar

Lifeguards saved three people from drowning in the sea at the South beach in Bulgaria's Black Sea resort of Nessebar. The incident happened yesterday, July 28, around 19:00 during the lifeguards' off-hours and when the "red flag" was raised, which prohibits entering the sea water due to bad weather and huge waves.

A man and a woman entered the rough sea despite the red flag. Minutes later, the tourists started to drown. At that time there were no lifeguards on the beach because their working day was over. An employee from the surf school located on the beach spotted the drowning people in the sea and came in with a vessel to rescue them. However, the huge waves dragged him too into the sea.

Fortunately, just at that moment, several of the lifeguards, who lived nearby, were out after work , going to one of the beach restaurants and saw the group drowning. They reacted immediately and began a risky rescue operation. They called their colleagues to help, who arrived with equipment.

For more than 30 minutes, eight beach lifeguards battled the huge waves to reach and pull the three drowning people ashore. They used ropes to cling to in order to secure the rescue operation and prevent a bigger tragedy.

First they managed to reach the woman and pulled her ashore, and then they pulled both men out.

"The rescuers not only acted professionally and instantly, but above all they showed great humanity and courage by throwing themselves into the sea at a time when they were not at work and had no official duties. In this case, the tourists were lucky that the boys happened to be on the beach and spotted them," said the concessionaire of the South Beach in Nessebar, Kiril Spasov.

He urged again all holidaymakers to observe the beach flag warnings.

"Anyone who breaks the rules puts at great risk not only his own life, but also that of the lifeguards. It is unacceptable to enter the sea in bad weather and raised "red flag", as well as after 18.00, when the working hours of the lifeguards end, " the concessionaire warned and pointed out that bathing in rough seas is extremely dangerous.

Image: Nessebar beach - South