Teen rescues elderly man from the water at Canford Sang

The man, who was in his 80s, was trying to save his dog from the river when he got himself into difficulty and was unable to get himself to safety.

George Marshall, 16, from Bournemouth was working at the nearby coffee van when he was alerted to the man struggling in the water.

George said: “I grabbed a buoyancy tube and ran 400m to find the man who really was stuck.

“He was nearly impossible to get to and was about three metres away from the shore.”

George has been training with Bournemouth lifeguards for four years but said this was the first time he had to put his knowledge into practice.

George winning a medal at lifeguarding competition (Image: George Marshall)

He said: “I was really concerned because the water was freezing, and the man was turning purple.”

George tried to pull the gentleman out using a buoyancy aid he found near the coffee van; however, the string snapped when he tried to pull it. 

Luckily, a passing dog walker had an “extra strong” dog lead, which they wrapped around the float.

“We used the rope to lift the man up, and when he was close enough, I hooked my arms around him and managed to get him out,” he added.

George called the fire service who arrived within 30 minutes however, the man was safely on shore by the time of their arrival.

A spokesperson for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called to Canford Magna at 10.33am on September 7, after reports that a man was in the water and unable to get out.

“Three fire crews attended, from Ferndown, Westbourne and Christchurch, but no action was required as the man had been helped to safety before we arrived.”

Thankfully, the dog was also brought safely to shore.

George said he was concerned about the lack of buoyancy aids available at Canford Sang.

He added: “The fact that I had the only rescue tube in the park sort of blew my mind.

“Being a lifeguard water safety is very important to me and I think there needs to be more safety measures in place.”

The Daily Echo has contacted the owners of the privately owned Canford Sang for a comment.