PAUL Rhodes-Jones, a Grade 9 pupil at Westville Boys’ High School, has become an overnight hero after helping to save a fellow swimmer at the beach on Sunday, 15 March.
Paul’s father, Greg, said Paul is confident in the ocean, and while he was out there noticed a man in serious difficulty beyond the breakers. Paul tried to attract the attention of the lifeguards, to no avail.
“By this point the man was in a panic and just about to drown. Paul swam out to him, calmed him down a little, and then put him on his back and begun the long swim back to the beach. He obviously tired quickly, but managed to hang on until the lifeguards came out, and they were both taken to safety,” said Greg.
The lifeguards both acknowledged that without Paul’s help the man would certainly have drowned.
“Apart from the lesson of risking his life, we are extremely proud of his actions,” said Greg.
Westville Boys’ High School principal, Trevor Hall, commended Paul for his bravery and named him the SPAR Schools’ Star of the Month.
