TWO members of Bude Surf Life Saving Club have been praised by the community after they rescued two casualties from the water at Crooklets beach recently.

On Wednesday, August 15, junior training for the evening was coming to an end, when two surfers — both visitors to Bude — were spotted struggling in a rip current on Crooklets beach. The conditions of the water were particularly bad that evening, featuring a high spring tide, 5ft choppy surf and fading light.

Despite the risk, qualified lifeguards and surf life saving coaches Paul Cottle and Simon Hammond acted quickly. The pair paddled out to the casualties on their rescue boards and assisted them back to shore. In a post written on the Bude Surf Life Saving Club’s Facebook page later that evening, the casualties were reported to be visitors to Bude, inexperienced and were unaware of the danger they were in.

The club said: “Bude SLSC exists to keep beach and sea users safe through the training of lifeguards and patrolling the beaches. With the RNLI patrols ending at 6pm, club members are often involved in rescues, or their prevention, while training the younger members of the club.”

Paul and Simon have both been praised extensively by the public, along with the surf life saving club and its importance to the coastal community.