Surfer who saved family gives rip tide warning

Chris Penn said he grew up being comfortable in and around water

A surfer who helped rescue a family caught in a rip tide wants more people to be aware of basic water safety.

Chris Penn, from Wymondham, Norfolk, was visiting the beach at Sea Palling when he helped rescue a man who had got into difficulty.

The drama unfolded on 11 August when members of a family got caught in a rip tide.

"I thought, 'If I don’t do something, this guy is going to die right in front of us'… I'm a surfer, I’ve been trained in lifesaving," Mr Penn said.

"I heard all this commotion and shouting. I could see people gathering on the beach down by the water and quickly realised what was going on.

"I could see three people in the water in difficulty and that instinct took over.

"No-one was going into the water, [so] I started running down to the beach."

Mr Penn, 39, whose mum was a swimming teacher, spends a lot of time at the beach. He said that on the day of the incident, the sea looked "deceptively calm".

The incident happened on Sea Palling beach

Emergency services were called to the beach at about 10:30 BST. Coastguard teams from Bacton and Cromer, Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat and Sea Palling RNLI lifeguards responded.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance and the East of England Ambulance Service also attended, and one person was taken to James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston.

'I am proud'

After the incident, Mark Skerrett, chairman of Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat, warned of the risks of rip tides around high tide in the area.

"It is a beautiful beach and safe most of the time, but the rip tides along our coast are one of the dangers," he said.

"People need to know how to spot what they look like and, if caught in one, should always just float – don't try to swim."

Advice from HM Coastguard includes choosing a beach with lifeguards and making yourself familiar with the location.

Mr Penn said: "If you’re not a competent swimmer, do not swim in the sea here unless you’re in between the red and yellow flags.

"I’m so glad I was at the beach that day. I am proud.

"I'm not looking for anyone to call me a hero because I did what I know how to do, and it was well within my comfort zone."