To think she should have rescued her own child instead of raging at me?

[drowningyouout]

Name changed for this. Regular poster and don't want this attached to my normal user name.

Weather here crap, as everywhere, but warm enough so DS (7) and I don wellies and waterproofs and take a walk down the beach.

Wind and tide conditions are making it very rough and tide was mid height and on it's way in.

We see a mum, dad and their 2 DC's on some rocks - which as you imagine are wet and slippery.

Suddenly a wave crashes up to the rocks and one of their DC's (a lad of 6) slips and falls into the sea.

The parents are understandably in a panic and the dad starts to take the smaller DC back over the rocks towards the shore whilst yelling at the lad to swim to rocks and hold on.

I can see he's in trouble take wellies and waterproofs off yell at DS to stand back from water and go in to rescue him. The tidal conditions made swimming really difficult so I take the lad towards the rocks, calling for the mum to come help him up.

She starts saying she may slip, it's too near the water and can't I take him to shore. Out of breath and not wanting to waste it talking I get to the rocks and with great difficulty get the lad out. As I did this he slipped a bit banging his head and cutting it. I cut my shin quite badly climbing out myself as waves crashed me against the rocks.

Get to the beach and coastguard have arrived and called paramedics. (There's a beach watch thing right by where we were).

Anyway the paramedic arrive after a bit a said the boy needs to go to A&E as he has a head injury and they need to check his lungs. They dressed my shin on scene.

The boy got really upset saying he'd miss his friend party this afternoon - he was actually hysterical but I suspect it was more the shock. The mum looked up and said " well you wouldn't have had to miss it if that stupid cow had taken you to shore instead of throwing you onto the rocks"

I was quite impressed with the coastguard who replied " what the stupid cow who most probably just saved your DS' life?"

AIBU to think she should have done something herself if the way he was rescued was such a problem.

NONastemia

DO not be put off PLEASE. A minority of people may not be be pleased with your efforts but the Majority will be very glad to see you.

I had ONE case (the one above) where someone was not happy, but I also have a lever arch file full of thank you letters, cards, etc. Your hard work will be appreciated.

Theonewiththehair, but that is amazing, your dads donation will have meant a great deal and will have ment that the mountain resucue can go on and help other people. that is an amazing thing! Poor dad hope he is ok now?

The body, I don´t say this often but I hope that man gets up every morning and feels ashamed of what he did. I hope it haunts him untill the day he dies. Your poor DD I hope she is ok?

Unfortunately lots of these cases find they way into the legal system to my knowledge NOT one has been won in a court, but there are somecases where things have been settled out of court etc.

BUT please please please remember if you do you best, with the knowledge that you have you are quite safe.

Can Mumsnet have a compain, I really think every parent should have access to FREE first aid training, I can´t image how terrible it would feel to not know what to do.

The person talking to the doctor on the airline is right, if you have skills like these you are often called on. I´ve been in the back of cars that have been cut to piece by the firebrigade because I happened to be driving past an accident in the middle of no where, I´ve gone up electric pilions to get to a paraglider that had been blown into one, I´ve pulle kids out from cars and stoped the car from rolling on a man that over took on a blind bend in icy conditions and roled his car into the ditch. But I would do it all again tommorow without thinking to save a life.

Thanks mummyinspain I won't be put off doing it. I'm just that people react like this when someone is trying to help them.

mummyinspain . I have just caught up with this thread. The rescue you performed was way larger than me getting the lad out of the sea. And at such a young age. I cannot believe that they tried to sue. I was in and out in probably less than 3 minutes - not 5 minutes to the lad and then a further 10 to shore. Have some

As far as First Aid training - I have just done my First aid at work qualification (3 day course!). They were looking for people and I got the position. We have been told that as long as what you did was in the best interests of the casualty then no legal action will find you guilty. I use to do Lifesaving/ lifeguarding/ peads etc first aid. Years ago the course was much stricter in terms of what you needed to know, ratios of CPR etc.

I think that the reason the training is far more generic - so simply 30:2 (compressions to breathing) and no variations is because people try and take action if you get the wrong combination etc. If there's less to know there's less to get wrong iyswim?

Can I just say sorry for not being back - especially as so many had taken the time to comment. I spent the afternoon with a friend yesterday - she's a nurse, she redressed my leg, fed me roast dinner and then took her DC's and my DS to the park and made me have some rest - apparently I looked pale! Been working today.

You should have given her a slap and told her to fuck off.

I am LIVID!!!
You did such a brave thing, in the mum's place I would be worshiping the ground you walk on.
I hope you feel very proud of what you did.

Yeah should have said - meant no-one has sucessfully sued a rescuer not they won't find you guilty - wish I could predict the future though

Red I LOVE those jeans. I was actually wearing an George £3 pair of tracksuit bottoms (classy me!) but I might just buy those jeans - I mean - I do need some new clothes for this "summer"

Gosh, there are some wonderful people on this thread.

for all of you.

Oh, and as I think the sun's probably over the yardarm!

I am so in awe of the people on this thread and the actions taken to save others.
I really hope when this parent calms down she seeks you out to thank you and apologise OP.

Mummyinspain, As a young car ark attendant in cornwall once said " stuff of awesome" truly amazing. Keep up the good work. So glad there are people like you and drowning and all the others who value life to the extent of risking their own.

I saved my own dd from drowning in a pool, " I could just see the lines on the bottom mummy" while the lifeguard did nothing from the side of the pool. It was instinctive, before my brain could even consciously acknowledge what was happening I was in the water. I like to think I would do the same for anyone else.

The sea is a lovely thing to play about in, or to watch it crashing and churning. The trouble is, it is such a dangerous toy, and we don't tend to think about it in those terms. Except of course for people like you, drowning, and the other heroes on this thread, who know it all too well.

DH and I are wise old birds, and are pretty aware of the sea's danger. That didn't stop us wandering along the shingle and then stopping and gazing in awe at the wonderful, dramatic sea with its big waves crashing down about 12ft away from us. Oh yes, we were sensible and kept away from the shoreline. And then a massive freak wave got us.

Soaked to the skin, wellies full of water and the shingle ripped away from under us, I was stuck. If I tried to lift my foot to turn around or to take even one step back the ground disappeared - apart from my wellies being so heavy I could barely lift my foot anyway. Twisted around to grab dh's hand which was so obviously going to be there, I saw him half way up the beach and still running!! The wave kept coming, and by this time that was the new water level so it wasn't going to go away, and with every fresh wave more shingle was dragged out from under me and it became even harder to keep my footing.

DH did eventually turn around expecting to see me close behind him, and had to wade all the way back to drag me to safety! I'm sure if it hadn't been February and freezing I would have simply got onto hands and knees and just crawled up the beach, but it honestly didn't occur to me.

We still have a laugh about it tbh, though at the time it was very frightening. We are sure that the people in the pub at the cliff top thought we were utterly idiotic Londoners (well, we were). We treat the sea with more respect now, especially as we moved to less than 20 miles from where it happened!

Your people standing on the rocks were almost certainly townies who know the sea from summer holidays; that woman was scared out of her wits undoubtedly. Their sojourn watching the sea, so filled with romance and drama turned right around into a nightmare. You have been very understanding and generous about her reaction, it's the fight or flight thing isn't it?

Drowning, sorry I have been busy at work. I like your friend, that is a lovely friend!

Well done you re the new course qualification, things change so fast with first aid, my Bil and I where talking about this the other day and he works for the MOD in exactly the right disapline to know!

I did a 6 day course and a 10 day course for the moutain rescue and things changed every 2 years or so in terms of what you can / should do and what would work the best.

It is amazing to think that people who would today be saved today would probably not have made it with the first aid of 10 years ago.

With portable defribs we carried a trial one for a year way back about 20 years ago the thing weighed a bloody tonne and was no where near as good as the ones today, you had to be qualified to use it as there was no "follow the instructions" I had batteries the size and weight of house bricks and you had one shock with it. The thing was pretty useless to be honest, but the new ones are simply amazing.

I did what anyone would have done (I hope) and just to make you all laugh a bit my DD has virtually ever colour of swimming costume but she has never warn a red one :)

Drowing you are a hero, see how many people agree? We can´t all be wrong!

I keep revisiting this thread in the hope that the mother whose son you rescued will appear on here with a grovelling apology

Some of you lot are amazing.

Well done OP, what a marvellous thing to do!! Dont know you but proud of you all the same :)

I can imagine the boys mum relaying the story, I should imagine telling it back she will be like at her behavior........stupid woman.

I think some of you are so brave and wonderful. I'm totally blown away. You are my heroes.