I watched my son drowning – I’m sharing the terrifying ordeal to save other parents our pain
FOR one family, a trip to their favourite UK beach turned to disaster in a matter of minutes.
Nicola Harker, 52, a doctor and leadership coach from Bristol was on holiday in Cornwall in 2021 with her son Josh, when the pair got into trouble in a cove.
The 52-year-old tells Sun Health how she feared she could become a terrifying statistic - one of the 300 or so Brits who die from accidental drowning every year.
The strong swimmer and her son, then 12, got caught in a riptide.
Here, she tells of the horrifying ordeal, in a bid to warn others of the hidden dangers off our coast.
Nicola said: “We were at a little local cove near Mevagissey where we’ve swum and paddle boarded for years.
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“I’m a strong swimmer - I swim regularly - and so is Josh.
“We had family visiting one day and after lunch all the kids wanted to go in the sea to jump the waves and do some body boarding.
“We all planned to stay together, near the middle of the cove.
“I was standing in the waves watching the kids, when I noticed Josh and one of our teenage visitors had drifted towards one end of the beach.
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“He was only 20 metres from me so I walked towards him, calling them both to move back towards the group.
“My son heard me and shouted that he couldn't move.
“Without thinking about my safety, I went to him, and I could feel the strong current pulling away towards the edge of the beach and the rocks.
“As I reached him, I grabbed him around the waist, the waves were getting bigger, the current was pulling our legs and I couldn't pull him to safety.
“It was scary to realise I couldn't move him, as he's slim and I'm a strong swimmer.
“I yelled to my husband, Jeremy, a lecturer, then 55, who was further out in a kayak.
“It was hard to be heard because the waves were higher than my head.
RACE TO SAFETY
“Initially he thought I was saying to keep clear of the kids, but when he realised he raced to help.
“He was able to tow our son straight into the shore, but when he came back for me, I’d already been pulled further towards the edge of the beach and the rocks, and so trying to tow me meant trying to pull against the current rather than across it.
“We were going backwards despite me kicking hard and him paddling furiously.
“I could feel my grip on the kayak loosening, and I was running out of energy to fight the drag.
“I started to cry when I realised I couldn't hold onto the kayak anymore and thought I would just be swept away around the corner.
“As the drag increased, he made the quick decision that we both needed to throw ourselves on the rocks as we were being dragged out of the bay and around the corner.
“The waves were big, and as I landed on the rocks, his kayak crushed my leg against the rocks with a sickening thud.
“I thought I'd snapped my leg, but we were able to pull ourselves to safety over the sharp rocks and back to the beach where most people hadn't noticed anything was happening.
“We’ve been back to the beach since and I had flashbacks for a while.
“Josh was really emotional a couple of days later once he’d processed what had happened.
“We were complacent because we'd had so many lovely calm days there.
“In situations like this, it's the thought that things changed so quickly.
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"It could have ended very badly and that goes around in your head.
“I have always been quite cautious of the sea, and so I thought my level of caution would keep us all safe.”
How to stay safe in the water
- PICK YOUR SPOT
Outdoor swimming coach and open water lifeguard Rowan Clarke, says: “Pick a safe spot where lots of people swim.
“Find out about tides, water quality and local laws. Look for local Facebook groups, websites and signs for information.
“Strong currents, tides, underwater objects, bad water quality, algae are all things to watch out for.”
- DON’T GO ALONE
Kate Rew, author of The Outdoor Swimmers' Handbook, says to make sure someone is with you.
She says: “Experienced swimmers often go alone, but as a newbie you will almost certainly want a friend with you or on the shore.
“If you don't know anyone who wants to swim, there are wild swim groups all over the country to join.”
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- WATCH YOUR KIDS
Rowan says: “Kids get cold more quickly than adults and may be bad at telling you they're cold because they're having so much fun.
“Keep them within arm's reach and watch them at all times.
“Keep in your depth so you can touch the bottom and support them.”
For free downloadable water safety resources, visit .