A brave dad has been hailed a hero after saving the lives of SIX people in ‘miracle’ rescue by pulling them from water after they were knocked from rocks by a wave.
Kevin Viles, a business owner, was walking with his family when he saw the other family getting into trouble.
All six of them were washed into the sea by large waves and Kevin, 44, quickly sprang into action.
He pulled them from the water at Gwithian, Cornwall, and resuscitated them before the emergency services arrived.
Reaclling the incident, Kevin, 44, said: “It’s all been a bit overwhelming, it was the worst thing I’ve lived.
“We were walking when my partner Lisa ran up to me and said, ‘there are people in the water’.
“All six were in at different depths, two looked like they were drowing.
“There was a boy and a girl, around six or eight-years-old, and they were being tossed around in the waves.”
Kevin said he was sure that some of the family were going to die, and that he can’t remember how he saved them.
He continued: “It was crazy. I can’t believe they are still alive.”
While Kevin was rescuing the family, his partner, 37-year-old Lisa, alerted the coastguard.
A large rescue operation was launched and a lifeboat, ambulances and the coastguard helicopter were all in attendance.
The HM Coastguard confirmed that multiple people ended up in the water, and that at least three people were washed into the sea by large waves.
A spokesperson said: “At 2.45pm today, HM Coastguard received a report of multiple people, confirmed to be nine in total (adults and children), in potential difficulty in the sea water at Godrevy, on the eastern side of St Ives Bay, Cornwall.
“The St Ives RNLI ALB, the HM Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter from Newquay and the Portreath Coastguard Rescue Team; along with the South Western Ambulance Service, attended the scene. Lifeguards from Gwithian also assisted in the search and rescue response.
“All persons were safely recovered, with assistance from a member of the public; and some were later passed into the care of the ambulance service for onward care to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, via air ambulance, land ambulance and coastguard helicopter.
The news was shared on Facebook by St Ives Lifeboat, who also confirmed multiple people were in danger.
They wrote: “At 2.48pm today the pagers sounded suddenly, the crew were urgently required. The coastguard had a report of a family being swept into the water.
“With a large swell the crew made their way to Godrevy. On scene were H. M. Coastguard Portreath Rescue Team, Cornwall Air Ambulance, RNLI Penwith Lifeguards and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
“The family had been on the rocks and with the sea conditions as they were, they’d been swept into the sea.
“Luckily on arrival 2 of the 3 members of family had managed to struggle their way onto land, one of the remaining family members hadn’t been located, but shortly was.
“In this instance everyone luckily made it out and were received immediately by the waiting ambulance.
“At this point the crew were stood down and they made their way back to the station.”
