Kids & Family
Off-Duty Lifeguard From NK Rescues Man Gets Caught In Riptide
Greg Allen, 19, and a 14-year-old surfer save two at a beach in Westerly after hours on Sunday, July 28.
Greg Allen had been off work for an hour Sunday, July 28, when he noticed a couple of people in the water who appeared to be stuck in a riptide.
Allen, 19, from North Kingstown, is a lifeguard at the beach in front of the Windjammer Lounge in the Misquamicut area of Westerly. When he saw the two swimmers, he was on the deck at the Windjammer.
He realized he was the only lifeguard around, since the beach is not guarded after 6 p.m. Allen grabbed a red “torpedo” floatation device and headed into the surf. Meanwhile, Austin Trefes, 14, was in the water surfing. (The Windjammer is owned by the Trefes family).
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Trefes got to the younger swimmer first and pulled him onto his surfboard. Allen, meanwhile, swam out to the other swimmer.
“By the time I got out there, he wasn’t responding too well,” said Allen. “He wasn’t listening.”
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Eventually, though, Allen got the man, Victor Robles, 41, of Providence, to hold onto the torpedo and he started towing him in. Then, the rope he was pulling snapped. He had to grab hold of the torpedo and pull him in that way.
When they got in shallow water close to shore, Allen told Robles to try to stand. Robles did, but then he passed out.
Allen pulled him up on the beach.
“He was having trouble breathing but he was still breathing,” said Allen. Someone called for rescue and while they waited, Allen said he and others just worked to keep Robles awake. Robles was treated at the scene by the rescue workers but declined to be taken to the hospital.
For Allen, while this was a significant rescue – “definitely one of the more serious ones” – it was one of many rescues he’s had to make this summer.
“That was my 20th rescue,” he said. Misquamicut is known for its big surf and riptides are not uncommon. On one recent weekend, Allen said, they had 15 rescues over Saturday and Sunday.
The reason this one was so serious, Allen pointed out, was because it happened after hours.
“If there was a lifeguard on duty things would have gone a lot more smoothly,” he said. “Luckily I was there.”
Allen gave advice on how to handle yourself if you get caught in a riptide: Swim parallel to the shore, then once you have gotten out of the riptide area you can swim to shore. “otherwise, you’ll just tire yourself out.”Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
