A family believed to be from the Port Hawkesbury area had to be rescued off of Port Hood in a swimming incident on Wednesday evening.
A mother and four children aged 5 to 10 years including 7 year-old twins were near the Day Park Beach on floatation devices on their way back to shore when they found themselves in deeper water.
At first people on the beach were unaware what was unfolding just metres off shore.
Shawn Taylor decided to ride his bike to the shore when he heard people calling for help.
The resident of Lower Sackville who was visiting family in Port Hood tells The Hawk, they were lucky to reach the family when they did…
“Myself and another lady ended swimming out to help pull them in. There was a mother and four children…they were on inner tubes and an air mattress”.
Taylor says they were not far off shore but it was deep in the area and they were still drifting, “The water was fairly deep, I’m 6 foot one and it was over my head. They were drifting out…I think the mother was fighting, trying to get them in but she was pretty well exhausted from what I could tell.”
Taylor says there were a number of people who helped with the rescue and provided blankets to keep the family warm until the first responders arrived.
Paramedics arrived and checked everyone out on the beach.
Taylor says he’s glad he was able to help and that it was a team effort.
