Steven Doorey-Williams, a former Royal Marine and firefighter, rescued three children from potentially dangerous conditions at sea near Dumpton Gap beach, close to Broadstairs in Kent. While working at the Bayside Café, he was alerted to the children in distress by a local beach hut owner who came in shouting for help.

According to Doorey-Williams, he saw a boy and a girl struggling to return to shore amid strong waves and high winds, with the current pulling them further out to sea. He immediately ran into the water fully clothed, threw a life ring, and successfully brought the three children—a girl and two boys—to safety.

The incident has drawn attention to concerns over water safety, particularly as another heatwave is forecast to bring large crowds to beaches across England and Wales. Temperatures could reach as high as 36 degrees Celsius, increasing the likelihood of people seeking relief near water.

In response to ongoing drownings, the Save Lives For Sam campaign, named after 16-year-old Sam Haycock who drowned at a reservoir in Rotherham in 2021, has renewed calls for stronger safety measures. The campaign advocates making water safety education compulsory in schools and introducing a legal requirement for safety equipment to be installed near high-risk aquatic areas.

Officials and safety campaigners emphasize the importance of such measures to prevent similar incidents, highlighting the risks posed by rough seas and unpredictable conditions even on popular beaches. Doorey-Williams’s actions have been praised as a prompt and courageous response that prevented what could have been a tragic outcome.