Former lifeguards help rescue 4 swimmers at Nova Scotia beach

Two lifeguards who helped rescue four swimmers at Black Brook Beach along the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton said high waves created a dangerous situation on Sunday.

"They were clearly caught in the currents, in the undertow. The waves coming in were eight- and 10-feet high,” said Charlotte MacDonald, one of three beachgoers and former lifeguards who rescued the swimmers.

MacDonald and Mora Purcell, along with Purcell's sister Caitlyn, rushed into the water to help the four swimmers caught in high swells and rip currents. They said one man was caught against some rocks and was distressed.

"He was trying to get out onto the rocks and he was just being washed around,” Purcell said. “I grabbed him and was just able to wedge ourselves between two rocks, and then Charlotte and another man arrived and we were able to assist him to get to shore. And I climbed up onto the rocks with the other three people that were there."

Paul D'Eon of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service said there have been many examples over the years of how storm surge can be life threatening. He noted people should be particularly careful along shorelines as Ernesto passed off the coast on Monday.

"The Eastern Shore and the South Shore have significant surf right now – up to two- and three-metre surf - and that gets into a point where that's quite dangerous”, D’Eon said. "We've heard the stories of Peggy's Cove and people getting washed off the rocks, but there are many more 'Peggy's Coves' around the province."

Some argue Sunday’s incident proves Black Brook Beach should have lifeguards.

Parks Canada told CTV Atlantic it's an unsupervised beach and always has been. Unless there are signs saying swimming is prohibited or the beach is closed, it's up to individuals to assess the conditions, including checking local surf and weather reports.

The rescuers said eight-to-10 people helped in some way on Sunday.

"It was good that we were here and we had a positive outcome, but I'm sure if we weren't somebody else in the community would be able to help as well,” Purcell said.

"There's some beaches that you just know have a stronger undertow and current and a bigger risk, and this is one of them,” MacDonald said.

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