A MILFORD HAVEN boy is very lucky to be alive after being caught up in the very fast Pembrokeshire tide. 

Flynn Chapman, aged two and a half, was with his family last weekend crabbing off the popular bridge at Sandy Haven. His mother Kelly Walters explained about the horrifying sequence of events that then transpired, in an interview with The Herald: “Last Sunday, Paul (her partner) and I, along with our three children and a friend, went to Sandy Haven beach. The children were playing for a while on the edge of the sea, with Paul next to them. The crabbing bridge was covered with water as it was high tide so we were waiting for the tide to go out so that the children could see if they could catch some crabs with nets. “After a while we noticed a few other people on the bridge so we all wandered over together. The two girls wandered onto the bridge while me, Paul, Jaden and Flynn played in the water very close to the bridge, and after about five minutes Jaden decided to go on the bridge and Flynn followed him. “As we were so close and watching them we let Flynn go with Jaden. After a few minutes Jaden and Flynn sat down on the bridge. Next minute, all I saw was Flynn tumble off the bridge. Jaden automatically jumped in and grabbed his foot but the current just took him. “There was another man on the bridge who looked over the side and I realised he couldn’t see him either, that’s when the panic set in and I screamed. Me and Paul both ran through the water and Paul dived head first under but couldn’t see him because of rocks and seaweed. He just put his arms out and tried to feel and that’s when he felt a leg, there was another man there as well, trying to get Flynn out and between them they got him.” Kelly went on to explain what happened after her son had been pulled out of the water: “He was very shocked, he was holding his breath and that’s when I heard the best sound ever – his cry. I phoned NHS direct and they immediately sent an ambulance, and he was taken to Withybush Hospital and checked over. All of his observations were fine. I didn’t realise when the tide is going out that is when the current is at its strongest. If I would have known this I would have been more vigilant.” Speaking to The Herald about how this experience could be turned into a positive message, Kelly continued: “I want people to understand that no matter how deep the water is, it is still a danger. I have thought to myself I should have been on that bridge, and people may think the same, but the water was not deep and I just didn’t see a great danger. I was standing less than 20 yards away and I was watching him the whole time. I want to thank a few members of the public as they were fantastic: Lisa Reynolds and her partner Gareth Paines who helped Paul pull him out and Jeanette Williams and her husband Keith. We are reliving it over and over in our heads, I am so exhausted thinking about it.” An RNLI spokesperson told The Herald: “Most accidents happen during seemingly safe activities like swimming or walking, although it’s not just water-based activities that put people in danger slips and falls are a common issue. Cold water shock is also a significant danger: the UK sea temperature is cold enough yearround to trigger cold water shock. “We would advise all those who are visiting the coast to stay away from cliff edges, stick to marked pathways and read safety signs. If you get caught in a rip current, don’t try to swim against it; if you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip, and then raise your hand and shout for help.”