Latest news with #Euan
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How brothers survived rip current surf terror
On Saturday 17 May, two brothers got caught in a terrifying rip current at a popular surfing beach in north-east England. They hope sharing their experience will save lives. It was a great day for a surf, with 5ft-high swells sweeping along the shore at Tynemouth. Euan, 21, and Andrew, 19, were among the dozens dotting the breaking blue waves at Longsands that lunchtime. When they rented their boards from a hire centre at the beach, the pair from Gateshead were advised of the safest spots to surf. But, unwittingly, they were being blown by a northerly wind towards a rip current, a permanent fixture beside the lido at the southern end of the mile-long beach. By the time they realised, it was too late. Andrew was the first to get caught, he had stayed out on the water while his brother went ashore to get a different surfboard. "I did not really know what was going on," Andrew says. "I was going full pelt and not getting anywhere." When Euan returned, he instantly saw his younger brother was in trouble and went out to try and help him, getting himself caught in the current. "It was like trying to swim on a treadmill," Euan, 21, recalls. No matter how hard he swam, he found himself and his brother being pulled out to sea by the current. Both quickly realised how serious their situation was, and it became even more perilous when they began to get separated. While each was struggling to keep themselves afloat, they also had the added fear of not knowing what was happening to the other, as they disappeared from each other's view. Their first urge was to panic and swim as hard as they could to get out of their predicament. "I could hear myself panicking but I just knew that would not help me," Euan says. He called at his brother to "just chill", which they laugh about now. But staying calm became key to their survival, the pair remembering the lessons taught to them by their father years before at their local swimming pool. Stay calm and float on your back, conserve energy. Andrew was being bombarded by the breaking waves, tumbling in the tumultuous North Sea. Luckily, he was thrust close to the rocks, which he was able to make a quick burst for and haul himself up on to. But Euan was too far away and being pulled further out to sea. He had seen his brother get out to safety, flooding him with relief, his attention now turning solely to his own predicament. "I was completely helpless," Euan recalls. "I was just very aware no matter how hard or long I swam there was no chance of me fighting this." Neither really knows how long the ordeal lasted or how far they travelled, but it felt like a long time and a long distance. They both say they had "pretty scary" and "dark" thoughts during their struggle, principally about what had happened to the other. Several members of the public, including a 10-year-old boy, saw what was happening and called for help. The RNLI Cullercoats team was paged at 12:09 BST, and 11 minutes later four crew members were aboard their boat Daddy's Girl, bursting out into Cullercoats bay and down the coast. Two minutes later they found Euan. He struggles to describe the relief he felt seeing the bright orange boat bearing down on him. "That was a great feeling," he says. He was hauled over the inflatable side and taken back to the Cullercoats lifeboat station to be checked over and treated with a bag of gummy sweets. He had not realised how cold he was until the paramedics started to look him over. The station's operations manager drove him back to Tynemouth for a reunion with his brother. "We gave each other a big hug," Euan says. Andrew, who was already out of his wetsuit and into his clothes, recalled the relief he felt at seeing his brother tempered by the soggy embrace from Euan's wetsuit. The pair drove home in a daze, Andrew putting I Will Survive on the car's radio. "We were in shock," Euan says. Andrew agrees: "I do not think either of us processed what we had been through." The rip current that caught them is a near permanent feature of Longsands, caused by the North Sea surging past the 1920s-built concrete lido. It is, according to the RNLI, "topographically constrained", while other rip currents can also regularly form along the beach. Rip currents can reach speeds of 5mph and pull anyone caught in them out to sea. They can be difficult to spot but are "sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea's surface", the RNLI says. Rip currents are the number one source for lifeguard call-outs, Geoff Cowan, the RNLI Cullercoats safety advisor says. Geoff is full of praise for the brothers, first for their actions in the moment and secondly for speaking out about it afterwards in a bid to boost awareness of the perils of rip currents and what to do if caught in one. Advice if caught includes to not try and swim against the current, but rather try and head parallel to the shore until free from its grip. The brothers had several things in their favour, Geoff says, including being young and fit and, crucially, they were wearing wetsuits, which provided invaluable buoyancy aid. They also followed the Float to Live protocols, advice issued by the RNLI to prevent drowning. "We want people to enjoy the water but be mindful of what can go wrong and what to do if it does," Geoff says. Additional advice includes carrying a phone in waterproof pouch and using the SafeTtrx app, which would quickly enable the RNLI to locate those in trouble. Pressing the side button on a mobile phone five times will also start a 999 call, Geoff says. The brothers are yet to return to the sea, but they have been to the Cullercoats station with their family to thank those who came to their aid. "We are really pleased to see them both," Geoff says. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Fifty years of messing with boats and saving lives Beachgoers urged to listen to RNLI podcast RNLI Cullercoats
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How brothers survived rip current surf terror
On Saturday 17 May, two brothers got caught in a terrifying rip current at a popular surfing beach in north-east England. They hope sharing their experience will save lives. It was a great day for a surf, with 5ft-high swells sweeping along the shore at Tynemouth. Euan, 21, and Andrew, 19, were among the dozens dotting the breaking blue waves at Longsands that lunchtime. When they rented their boards from a hire centre at the beach, the pair from Gateshead were advised of the safest spots to surf. But, unwittingly, they were being blown by a northerly wind towards a rip current, a permanent fixture beside the lido at the southern end of the mile-long beach. By the time they realised, it was too late. Andrew was the first to get caught, he had stayed out on the water while his brother went ashore to get a different surfboard. "I did not really know what was going on," Andrew says. "I was going full pelt and not getting anywhere." When Euan returned, he instantly saw his younger brother was in trouble and went out to try and help him, getting himself caught in the current. "It was like trying to swim on a treadmill," Euan, 21, recalls. No matter how hard he swam, he found himself and his brother being pulled out to sea by the current. Both quickly realised how serious their situation was, and it became even more perilous when they began to get separated. While each was struggling to keep themselves afloat, they also had the added fear of not knowing what was happening to the other, as they disappeared from each other's view. Their first urge was to panic and swim as hard as they could to get out of their predicament. "I could hear myself panicking but I just knew that would not help me," Euan says. He called at his brother to "just chill", which they laugh about now. But staying calm became key to their survival, the pair remembering the lessons taught to them by their father years before at their local swimming pool. Stay calm and float on your back, conserve energy. Andrew was being bombarded by the breaking waves, tumbling in the tumultuous North Sea. Luckily, he was thrust close to the rocks, which he was able to make a quick burst for and haul himself up on to. But Euan was too far away and being pulled further out to sea. He had seen his brother get out to safety, flooding him with relief, his attention now turning solely to his own predicament. "I was completely helpless," Euan recalls. "I was just very aware no matter how hard or long I swam there was no chance of me fighting this." Neither really knows how long the ordeal lasted or how far they travelled, but it felt like a long time and a long distance. They both say they had "pretty scary" and "dark" thoughts during their struggle, principally about what had happened to the other. Several members of the public, including a 10-year-old boy, saw what was happening and called for help. The RNLI Cullercoats team was paged at 12:09 BST, and 11 minutes later four crew members were aboard their boat Daddy's Girl, bursting out into Cullercoats bay and down the coast. Two minutes later they found Euan. He struggles to describe the relief he felt seeing the bright orange boat bearing down on him. "That was a great feeling," he says. He was hauled over the inflatable side and taken back to the Cullercoats lifeboat station to be checked over and treated with a bag of gummy sweets. He had not realised how cold he was until the paramedics started to look him over. The station's operations manager drove him back to Tynemouth for a reunion with his brother. "We gave each other a big hug," Euan says. Andrew, who was already out of his wetsuit and into his clothes, recalled the relief he felt at seeing his brother tempered by the soggy embrace from Euan's wetsuit. The pair drove home in a daze, Andrew putting I Will Survive on the car's radio. "We were in shock," Euan says. Andrew agrees: "I do not think either of us processed what we had been through." The rip current that caught them is a near permanent feature of Longsands, caused by the North Sea surging past the 1920s-built concrete lido. It is, according to the RNLI, "topographically constrained", while other rip currents can also regularly form along the beach. Rip currents can reach speeds of 5mph and pull anyone caught in them out to sea. They can be difficult to spot but are "sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea's surface", the RNLI says. Rip currents are the number one source for lifeguard call-outs, Geoff Cowan, the RNLI Cullercoats safety advisor says. Geoff is full of praise for the brothers, first for their actions in the moment and secondly for speaking out about it afterwards in a bid to boost awareness of the perils of rip currents and what to do if caught in one. Advice if caught includes to not try and swim against the current, but rather try and head parallel to the shore until free from its grip. The brothers had several things in their favour, Geoff says, including being young and fit and, crucially, they were wearing wetsuits, which provided invaluable buoyancy aid. They also followed the Float to Live protocols, advice issued by the RNLI to prevent drowning. "We want people to enjoy the water but be mindful of what can go wrong and what to do if it does," Geoff says. Additional advice includes carrying a phone in waterproof pouch and using the SafeTtrx app, which would quickly enable the RNLI to locate those in trouble. Pressing the side button on a mobile phone five times will also start a 999 call, Geoff says. The brothers are yet to return to the sea, but they have been to the Cullercoats station with their family to thank those who came to their aid. "We are really pleased to see them both," Geoff says. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Fifty years of messing with boats and saving lives Beachgoers urged to listen to RNLI podcast RNLI Cullercoats
BBC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
How Tynemouth surfer brothers sruvived rip current terror
On Saturday 17 May, two brothers got caught in a terrifying rip current at a popular surfing beach in north-east England. They hope sharing their experience will save lives. It was a great day for a surf, with 5ft-high swells sweeping along the shore at 21, and Andrew, 19, were among the dozens dotting the breaking blue waves at Longsands that they rented their boards from a hire centre at the beach, the pair from Gateshead were advised of the safest spots to unwittingly, they were being blown by a northerly wind towards a rip current, a permanent fixture beside the lido at the southern end of the mile-long the time they realised, it was too late. Andrew was the first to get caught, he had stayed out on the water while his brother went ashore to get a different surfboard."I did not really know what was going on," Andrew says. "I was going full pelt and not getting anywhere."When Euan returned, he instantly saw his younger brother was in trouble and went out to try and help him, getting himself caught in the current."It was like trying to swim on a treadmill," Euan, 21, matter how hard he swam, he found himself and his brother being pulled out to sea by the quickly realised how serious their situation was, and it became even more perilous when they began to get separated. While each was struggling to keep themselves afloat, they also had the added fear of not knowing what was happening to the other, as they disappeared from each other's first urge was to panic and swim as hard as they could to get out of their predicament."I could hear myself panicking but I just knew that would not help me," Euan called at his brother to "just chill", which they laugh about staying calm became key to their survival, the pair remembering the lessons taught to them by their father years before at their local swimming calm and float on your back, conserve energy. Andrew was being bombarded by the breaking waves, tumbling in the tumultuous North he was thrust close to the rocks, which he was able to make a quick burst for and haul himself up on Euan was too far away and being pulled further out to had seen his brother get out to safety, flooding him with relief, his attention now turning solely to his own predicament."I was completely helpless," Euan recalls. "I was just very aware no matter how hard or long I swam there was no chance of me fighting this."Neither really knows how long the ordeal lasted or how far they travelled, but it felt like a long time and a long distance. They both say they had "pretty scary" and "dark" thoughts during their struggle, principally about what had happened to the members of the public, including a 10-year-old boy, saw what was happening and called for RNLI Cullercoats team was paged at 12:09 BST, and 11 minutes later four crew members were aboard their boat Daddy's Girl, bursting out into Cullercoats bay and down the minutes later they found struggles to describe the relief he felt seeing the bright orange boat bearing down on him."That was a great feeling," he says. He was hauled over the inflatable side and taken back to the Cullercoats lifeboat station to be checked over and treated with a bag of gummy had not realised how cold he was until the paramedics started to look him station's operations manager drove him back to Tynemouth for a reunion with his brother."We gave each other a big hug," Euan says. Andrew, who was already out of his wetsuit and into his clothes, recalled the relief he felt at seeing his brother tempered by the soggy embrace from Euan's pair drove home in a daze, Andrew putting I Will Survive on the car's radio."We were in shock," Euan agrees: "I do not think either of us processed what we had been through." The rip current that caught them is a near permanent feature of Longsands, caused by the North Sea surging past the 1920s-built concrete is, according to the RNLI, "topographically constrained", while other rip currents can also regularly form along the currents can reach speeds of 5mph and pull anyone caught in them out to can be difficult to spot but are "sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea's surface", the RNLI currents are the number one source for lifeguard call-outs, Geoff Cowan, the RNLI Cullercoats safety advisor is full of praise for the brothers, first for their actions in the moment and secondly for speaking out about it afterwards in a bid to boost awareness of the perils of rip currents and what to do if caught in one. Advice if caught includes to not try and swim against the current, but rather try and head parallel to the shore until free from its brothers had several things in their favour, Geoff says, including being young and fit and, crucially, they were wearing wetsuits, which provided invaluable buoyancy also followed the Float to Live protocols, advice issued by the RNLI to prevent drowning."We want people to enjoy the water but be mindful of what can go wrong and what to do if it does," Geoff says. Additional advice includes carrying a phone in waterproof pouch and using the SafeTtrx app, which would quickly enable the RNLI to locate those in the side button on a mobile phone five times will also start a 999 call, Geoff brothers are yet to return to the sea, but they have been to the Cullercoats station with their family to thank those who came to their aid."We are really pleased to see them both," Geoff says. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Edinburgh Live
18-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh couple's joy turned to despair after noticing sonographer's concerned look
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh couple were devastated after finding out their unborn child had a life-limiting condition during a routine scan. Euan, 33, and Megan Higgins, 29, were over the moon when they discovered they were expecting in October 2022, but their joy soon turned to heartbreak when a 12 week scan revealed Leo was measuring too small. The couple, originally from Edinburgh but now living in Ormiston in East Lothian, were given further bad news when their 16 week scan found chromosomal abnormalities that put Leo at risk for extremely rare Edward's/Patau syndrome. Later tests found Leo had triploidy, a rare genetic condition that causes a developing fetus to have 69 total chromosomes in their cells instead of 46, with the couple told he would likely not survive outside the womb. Teacher Megan showed incredible strength giving birth to sleeping Leo shortly after 16 weeks, with personal trainer Euan describing the experience as horrifyingly traumatic. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. 'I remember the exact moment my phone rang on the way to work and I immediately thought something was wrong,' Euan said. 'With our jobs everything is meticulously planned, so when Megan rang out of the blue, I thought something had happened to her or the dog. 'To hear the words 'I'm pregnant' literally made my whole world stop for a second, I froze in shock and amazement. I just burst out crying, it was such a relief. 'For some reason I had it in my head I wouldn't be able to have kids and I'm not really sure why. The emotion overcame me and I just broke down knowing we would be getting what we always wanted, a family. 'People always tell you not to get too excited or don't start buying things until further down the line, but I think that's impossible. Especially when it's the first time this happens to you and it's literally everything you ever wanted. 'So we went to Asda and bought the baby its first outfit. It was the number one thing on our minds all day, every day. It was exciting, precious and magical. 'Like a lot of couples we got a private scan as soon as we could and we were a bit naive looking forward to all of the scans. We just saw it as an opportunity to see our little baby at the start of his journey but in reality these scans are to check their health. 'Everything seemed fine at first then our NHS 12-week scan came around and that is when we were told the baby was slightly too small.' The couple did not fully panic at this stage as they were informed not to worry and come back in a week's time. They remained excited and it never crossed their mind anything was seriously wrong. But it was in a small room in East Lothian Community Hospital that the sky fell in. Euan described the smile being wiped from both their faces. 'I felt sick and faint, something wasn't right,' Euan continued. 'Our sonographer was lovely and he had such a kind approach but we could see the look of concern on his face. 'We were sent along for blood tests and told if we did not hear anything back within two weeks then it was a good sign. We had told some people we were pregnant but not everyone. 'Megan began to become really concerned whenever she felt ill. We went through Christmas 2022 really low, unable to fully share what we were going through and not knowing what would happen. 'Two weeks passed and our confidence grew. Our fear of chromosomal abnormalities was now low but the following week, we got a call from Fetal Medicine telling us to come in as our baby had a high risk of Edwards'/Patau syndrome. 'From here we had another scan and appointment which confirmed everything and we then had to make a decision - one that everyone thinks won't happen to them. To continue with the pregnancy or not. 'Everyone has their own views on this, but unless you've been in the situation you really shouldn't comment. We received advice and it felt like the best option for us was not to continue with the pregnancy as our baby had an extremely low chance of life.' The following days consisted of Megan taking medication to 'start the process.' She then had to give birth, awake and aware of what was happening around her - an extremely traumatic experience for the couple. 'The process was long, painful and soul destroying,' Euan said. 'I'll never forget it. 'I'll also never forget the strength Megan displayed and the one positive through all this was I found a whole new level of love for my wife. We then chose to have a post mortem performed on our baby. 'We found out our baby was a boy who he was since named Leo. He had severe abnormalities with his hands, feet and heart and only had one kidney which was lying far down. 'We also found out that he didn't have Patau's or Edward's syndrome and instead had Triploidy. Whereby, he had three of each chromosome and his chances of survival would have been days, possibly weeks had he made it to full term.' The couple decided against receiving support from a charity and instead tried to work through their grief together. They scattered Leo's ashes but remained resolute in their desire to build their own family. A number of months after losing Leo, Megan fell pregnant again. The couple admit they were riddled with anxiety throughout after their previous loss but the pregnancy led to the birth of their incredible daughter, Runa. 'I feel that everything does happen for a reason; good or bad, happy or sad,' he said. 'We would not have our beautiful little girl and a happy family now had it not been for this traumatic experience and journey. 'We often say it's a conflicting cycle. If we hadn't lost Leo, we would never have Runa. However, we wouldn't wish for what we went through on anyone and wished we never had to go through it. 'We are now expecting our second child on August 12 later this year.' Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Despite not receiving support from a charity out of choice, Euan has set his sights on this year's Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for 'Held In Our Hearts.' The charity assists parents who have experienced baby loss. 'I'm doing this for him and I'm doing this for all the other mums and dads out there who have experienced baby loss,' Euan said. 'Unfortunately, it is more common than many of us realise and I only became aware of this sadly when we lost Leo. 'We never reached out to a baby loss charity. I guess we never really spoke about it. 'However, we had people mention Held in Our Hearts to us, many times, and knowing there was someone there we could talk to if we needed it made a big difference. Your support would be greatly appreciated and if anyone ever wants to reach out and share their story or needs any help and support, I'd be happy to help if I can.' To support Euan's fundraiser, click here.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I had to spend six hours on a nightclub toilet floor
Spending six hours on the floor of a nightclub toilet wasn't how I imagined my evening out would go. It was early 2014 and I was just getting used to being in a wheelchair after an accident that caused a spinal injury. Instead of enjoying a slap-up meal at a charity event at a Cardiff club, I ended up on the floor of the accessible loo after falling out of my wheelchair. It wasn't until the music stopped that the bouncers heard me screaming and bashing the bins. My body was covered in bruises, but the outcome could have been much worse. Mum told to 'give up' career to care for daughters My disability admin at 27 feels like full-time job Girl home-schooled due to lack of disabled toilets I struggled to sit back up in my chair after using the toilet and ended up stranded on the floor until three in the morning because the emergency pull-cord in the accessible toilet snapped - and failed to alert staff that I was in danger. At the time, I brushed it off. But now I realise how serious it could have been. Eleven years on and campaigners say not much has changed. I have spoken to other people with similar stories and one charity has called for businesses and councils to take "immediate steps" to improve access to accessible toilets. Charity Euan's guide, which provides disabled access information, found almost three quarters of 6,800 people surveyed said they had come across an accessible toilet they were unable to use, while two-thirds said loos were dirty and unhygienic. Working on this story has brought back a lot of traumatic memories about that night. But my bad experience could have been resolved quickly if the emergency pull cord had worked. The survey said some people found accessible toilets with faeces over walls and floors, Christmas decorations being stored in them, and another with an office set up, complete with a desk, chair and lamp. Kieren Barlow said he was left exposed on the loo when a faulty handle failed to lock and someone walked in and left, leaving the door open. The 35-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, was unable to transfer quickly back into his wheelchair to close the door. The "awful" experience left the RSPCA branch manager from Connah's Quay, Flintshire, with toilet anxiety. "I've had times where the toilet seat slides to one side, and you make a mess of yourself," he told me. "It creates fear. It makes me scared of going to a public toilet because you don't know what you're going to face." He said accessible toilets were rarely "cleaned like the non-disabled toilets are" and carries his own toilet bag with paper, sanitiser and underwear. Steph Bailey-Scott has found accessible toilets used as storage rooms and said they were often too small. The 30-year-old from Cardiff has tiredness and pain in her legs and uses a wheelchair to get around after developing long Covid four years ago. "I'm already tired, so to push a heavy door or find an alternative doesn't feel very fair," she said. "It's very frustrating that other people can very easily go to the toilet when they want to without any issues." It is something parents of disabled children said they struggle with too. Dominic Evans coaches a wheelchair rugby team near his home in Bridgend that his sons, Alexander, 15, and Lucas, 12, both play in. He said the accessible toilets he finds were often "stinking", with no toilet roll or adequate changing facilities, forcing him to change them on a wet floor. "It is awful, the indignity they have to go through if I have to try and change them in such barbaric conditions," said Dominic. Euan's Guide said existing regulation like the Equality Act 2010 and building regulations had not solved the problem. The charity is calling on the public, businesses, policymakers and local authorities to take immediate steps to improve disabled access information. Haneul Lee from the charity said after 10 years of running surveys about accessible toilets, not much had improved. I shared my story with Haneul and asked if my situation was rare. "We've definitely heard a lot of people just lying there waiting," Hanuel said. "Some for five to six hours. We've had people with a broken leg because there was wet floor and they've ended up slipping." The Welsh government said changes were made to building regulations in 2023 to increase the number of available accessible toilets in public buildings of a certain size. It added: "We are committed to supporting the rights of all disabled people in Wales and creating an inclusive and accessible society." The UK government has also been approached for comment. What happens to disabled people when parents die? How gaming helps people with disabilities like me Disability blogger stranded after hotel shower fall
