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.

Wow! What a hero! Well done you! What a thoughtless woman though, I hope the angry reaction was one of shame and embarrassment. I would now be standing on your doorstep with a bottle of champagne and a bunch of flowers to say thank you!

Wow well done op - thank goodness you were there. Can't believe the parents just left him to it the poor lad!

Oh, lots of X posts.

worra the dad grabbed the younger child and clambered over the rocks towards the shore with her. He was also yelling at the lad to swim. She was only a toddler and the tide was coming in. Guess he didn't want her to go the same way. He was with the toddler inside the hut thingy when the mum made the comment. They were all soaked due to the random wave and the coastguards had her in a space blanket warming her up.

It is possible she can't swim. That actually makes me feel sorry for her.

She didn't reply to the coastguard, she just said if they needed to go to A&E then they ought to go.

Just read the first page and I have the hugest lump in my throat....what a bloody brilliant person you are; really truly amazing.

I always wonder what I'd do if I saw an emergency....I hope I have balls like you

And ignore the Mum.....what a numpty! Feel the love here instead!

Applauds thanks You were marvellous!!

Coastguard spot on too

Less said about the mother the better

Argh!

I really hope this thread is one of those who get a lot of replies (in the vain hope someone here reads it) and shame the stupid mum about her behaviour.

What was that thing about asking to take her son to the shore? Obviously some people feel so entitled that the fact that a stranger had gone into so much trouble to save their child is not enough, as it wasn't the way she would gave wanted to.

Thanks god you were there, she seems the kind of person who would have left his child drown not to wet her clothes.

You are amazing. You have saved a life, risking your own in the process.

She is a twat.

I think the need to have him on shore was the fact she'd just realised the rocks were dangerous and wanted to get off them and didn't want her DS on them again.

You are a real hero! I would have kissed you (sorry)! I assume she was in shock.

She really thought her child could swim in that fully clothed in freezing water in shock

I think she just didn't have a clue and probably still doesn't grasp that her child would have drowned very very quickly had you not saved him.

She is a twat. I don't care how shocked she was. In fact often a situation like that brings out a person's true colours because it strips away that thin veneer of civilisation.

Your true colours are very heroic. Hers are... snot green :o

for you. And for ambulance driver who will probably tell that story to his mates in the pub tonight and they will sit and shake their heads in wonder that anyone could be so fucking ungrateful.

Snotgreenmother I hope you are on MN, reading this, feeling suitably mortified and longing for chance to thank and apologise to OP!

wow, well done you.

I hope she was in shock. I think you would have had me crying over you for hours in sobbing gratitude.

Hope your leg gets better soon.

I would have kissed you and offered you gifts.

When you think about this, remember only that you saved a life today. Nothing else should piss on your chips.

Bloody well done you (and thank goodness YOURE ok too)

Oh my God reading this has made me cry! How terrible! She must have been in shock....although it seems weird that she wasn't flinging herself at that roc when you told her to!

Well done! My God how terrible for you...but your DS must be very proud. I your shin ok??

OH MY GOD! The dad should have saved the child, but you did right because it is not the child's fault in the end of the day, these poor kids will suffer with the parents they have. Don't be upset, you are a hero in our eyes!!! Well done!

Ooops - it was the coastguard guy who said that to her. But he and ambulance dude both deserve some

And some more for you too OP :o

Well domes, what a prize muppet she has shown herself to be, shock or not. Wonder what will happen if it makes it into local paper and the coastguard mentions what she said?

Well done OP!

My DH just said that it sounds like she valued her own life more than her son's.

Bloody hell drowning... You're amazing!

Well done! I'm sure tonight when she tucks her DS into bed and realises how she almost lost him today she will realise how lucky she was that an unknown lady jumped into the sea and saved her DS's life and will be grateful.

Is your user name a coincidence?

Well done drowning

No I name changed. Didn't want my normal user name attached to this. It would make me less anon if anyone who witnessed this was here.

As for the dad running with the toddler - it was to keep her safe I would think. Perhaps neither of them can swim or are good swimmers? If not I hope if nothing else this spurs them into learning or improving.

poo sorry to hear about your relative. The same thing happened here at another nearby beach a few months ago. The people who were being rescued survived.

Well done, OP, you have been fantastic.

I wish people would stop and think a bit, though, before denigrating others who cannot swim. I can't, although I tried to learn time and time again when I was younger. I am so phobic about swimming that I am sick if I even smell the chlorine of a swimming pool and have nightmares about drowning. I simply can't swim. If I did go in a pool, I would panic and sink straight to the bottom.

I have made sure that both DSs can though as I took them for lessons when they were children even though I was terrified about going near a pool. They are both good swimmers.