A PADDLEBOARDER has been hailed a hero after she helped rescue two young girls who were quickly swept out to sea.

The drama at Poole’s Rockley beach happened on the same evening as a swimmer was rescued near Sandbanks Ferry.

Rebecca Donovan, 32, an NHS 111 call handler from Ferndown, was visiting the beach by Rockley Park holiday park with friends and family when she saw the girls get into difficulty.

The strong swimmer made her way towards the girls with her paddleboard but ended up being swept out herself.

Rebecca’s dad Stuart Donovan, who watched the scene unfold, said: “The two girls were just on their paddleboard when they were dragged out. Rebecca said ‘I have to get my paddleboard and go out and get them’. The tide then started to take all of them out.

“Rebecca is quite a strong swimmer but she couldn’t help them all and realised she had to get over to where the rocks were. She got the eldest on the rocks but the youngest started drifting away so Rebecca had to jump in.

“She shouted to two chaps on a boat for help and they helped to pull the little girl in. But Rebecca got stuck and couldn’t move as the tide was so strong.

“One of the men helped to pull her in with a rope and then the lifeboat and coastguard turned up.

“This is a quieter part of Poole Harbour but the tides are dangerous. The two children were only waist high when they were swept out and my daughter is a strong swimmer, but she just couldn’t swim through it.

“A lot of young people could be whisked away quite easily.

“Rebecca was a brave girl and all of the holidaymakers at the caravan park said that she was a hero.”

Rebecca said: “I went out to get the kids but the tide just took me in. I couldn’t swim back with them so I tried to swim out to the rocks. I shouted at the two men on the boat to grab the children.

“I was short of breath afterwards and the RNLI put me on oxygen for 30 minutes. I have lots of cuts and bruises now.”

Rebecca was later taken to hospital as ambulance crews thought she may have secondary drowning, but she was sent home later that night.

The family of the two girls have thanked Rebecca for her efforts.

On the same day at around 5.30pm, a man swimming near Sandbanks was dragged by the current towards the Ferry.

Whitecliff resident Sandi Ives, 14, was on the beach and helped alert the ferry.

Sandi’s mum Louise said: “When he was swept out, the man started screaming and shouting. My daughter and her friends shouted and people were telling him to swim through it.

“Someone shouted and told him to lie still so he laid on his back and he was pulled towards the ferry. People on the ferry saw him and rescued him.

“The man later thanked my daughter and her friends. Sandi said that before he knew it, he was pulled out and it was quite scary how quickly it happened.

“My 12-year-old son has been going there and jumping off the pontoons with his friends and I have been educating him about the tides. When Sandi came home with the video of the man being swept out, it was good footage to show my son.

“I hope the message gets out to people that this can happen.”