Holidaymaker saves boy from drowning off coast

A holidaymaker has said a boy who got into difficulty off the Suffolk coast "wouldn’t have made it at all" if she had not been able to rush to his rescue.

Liz Evans, 33, was on holiday in Felixstowe when she decided to head to the beach with her friends and family last Thursday.

While in the water and being "battered by waves" she saw two boys get swept from one side of a sea breaker to the other, before one started screaming for help.

Ms Evans, from Swanley, Kent, swam towards the stranded youngster and managed to get him back to the safety of the shore with the help of another beachgoer.

"I realised one of the boys was asking his friend for help because he didn't know what to do, so I just dived in and swam over to try to drag him back," she said.

"If nobody had been there they wouldn’t have made it at all – he would have been stuck on the rocks or washed out because he was barely visible from the beach.

"It all happened so quickly but I work in a school and I have children myself, so I didn’t even consider hesitating... I just dived in.

"It was only when I was holding the boy up and then didn't know how I would get him back that I thought I was out of my depth. But thankfully it was OK."

The latest emergency off the coast of Felixstowe came just weeks after a dog walker saved a 19-year-old from drowning.

Despite being described as a strong and confident swimmer, Marcus Zagni found himself panicking after being unable to swim against the strong current.

Ms Evans called on East Suffolk Council to do more to warn people of the dangers of sea-swimming in the area.

"I think Felixstowe is known for a real undercurrent because it’s right by the port, so unless you know how to read the waves you don’t know it is there," she said.

"It's really renowned for being quite choppy and so I am surprised there is not even a basic flag system to say the sea is too choppy to swim in."

A spokesperson for the council said: "East Suffolk is home to some of the best beaches in the country, and we want everyone to enjoy them freely and safely.

"It is advised that beachgoers check in advance that conditions are safe and suitable.

"There are no guaranteed designated 'safe' swim areas, and signs are displayed at access points along Felixstowe beach warning people of potential hazards such as strong currents.

"Working with specialist agencies, this is something we will continue to review – assessing whether additional or relocated messaging is required."

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.