Rescue Mission To Rescue Girl Who Drifted Off To Sea On Inflatable Unicorn

Aug 26, 2020 by apost team

On August 23rd, 2020, one family decided to go swimming off the Greek coast. They put their daughter in an inflatable unicorn toy—but when they turned their backs, she had floated away.

Luckily, a rescue team was there to find the girl and bring her back to safety.

The sky and the water were both a perfect shade of blue on this beautiful August day. Sure, the ocean might have been a little choppy, but the family saw no reason to think twice about their afternoon plans.

The two parents and their little five-year-old daughter drove down to the Greek seaside for a lovely day on the waves. They brought everything needed to have a great day: snacks, towels, and inflatable pool toys.

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The little girl's favorite pool toy was an inflatable unicorn ring that helped her stay above the waves. Five-year-olds don't have an easy time swimming, and her parents figured that having an inflatable would keep her safe.

Unfortunately, pool toys aren't actually made for the ocean. The parents turned their backs for just a moment, but it was long enough for the wind to carry the inflatable unicorn straight out into the middle of the ocean. By the time they saw her bobbing away, she was too far out to be easily recovered.

The parents panicked, and the port authorities were called immediately. Everyone hoped that the little girl would be smart enough to stay inside the floating toy until someone could rescue her from the water.

The rescuers turned out to be the crew of a local ferry. The ship was relatively close to the incident, and the captain immediately steered her towards where the child was last sighted.

Because the day was so clear, it didn't take the crew long to spot the floaty and rescue the girl. She looked incredibly relieved as three men finally pulled her and her toy out of the waves.

Drifting away is scary for both the family and the person who suddenly finds themselves out at sea. But this kind of incident isn't uncommon, especially among tourists who aren't familiar with the ferocity of ocean waters.

The very same ferry that rescued the little girl also had to rescue an elderly man earlier in 2020. The man was floating on an inflatable mattress that was strong enough to hold his weight but light enough to be captured by the waves.

In an odd coincidence, a nearly identical incident in August of 2020 occurred in Northern Wales. The child who drifted away was a six-year-old boy, and he wasn't riding a unicorn; he was floating on an inflatable swan.

Emergency services across the world warn against using inflatable pool toys out on the ocean. Any kind of floatation device can be caught in the wrong current; if you don't know what you're doing, it can be impossible to get back. That's why it's so important to make sure children aren't using these toys. Stuart Penford, a Lead Lifeguard Supervisor from Pembrokeshire, puts it succinctly:

"Most incidents involve rescues, surfers, and bodyboarders getting into trouble. Paddle-boarders have been a common new theme—people go out and don't realize they can get into trouble.

"The beaches we work on can have up to 5,000 people there, it can be anything dealing with people who have had too much to drink or have spent too much time in the sun."

This little girl's parents must have been terrified when the ocean pulled her away. As tourists, it's important to ask for advice from the locals before planning activities; spaces like the ocean look friendly, but they contain many unexpected dangers.

What would you do if you ended up in this situation? Tell your ocean stories in the comments, and don't forget to pass this post along.