Prince dashes to rescue of Herefordshire teen (From Hereford Times)

Prince dashes to rescue of Herefordshire teen

4:17pm Friday 24th August 2012 in County

TWO Herefordshire sisters have Prince William to thank after being swept out to sea while bodyboarding.

The prince was part of a five-strong RAF crew in Anglesey, north Wales,
which winched Sharon and Tamara West out of the choppy water.

Sharon, aged 16, said she feared she would die after getting into difficulty along with her 13-year-old sibling.

Sharon, who has just left John Masefield High School, went into the water
first before being quickly dragged out behind a rock.

“The sea was really choppy,” she added. “The sting snapped on my bodyboard so I had nothing to keep me afloat; I screamed to Tamara to keep hold of hers.”

The sisters, from Weston Beggard, were on holiday in the area when they decided to venture into the water.

Sharon says she was dragged under several times and was a lot further out than her sister.

“I was in the water still being battered by the waves slamming me into the rocks and was struggling to keep my head above the water.”

Having recovered from her ordeal, Sharon says can’t thank her rescuers enough.

“If it wasn’t for the fast response of two surfers who alerted the RAF, and also the quick response from the crew of the Sea King helicopter, including
Prince William, then I wouldn’t be here today,” she explained.

“I remember saying to the winch men that I thought my life was over. I would like to say a big thank you to all of them.”