Lifeguard Rescues Five from Drowning, Declared 'Hero'

During the Eid al-Adha holiday, the occupancy rates at resorts in Kemer approached 100%. As one of Turkey's key tourist destinations, the beaches were so crowded that finding an empty sunbed was nearly impossible. This surge in visitors made the lifeguards' job even more challenging. While the district's Coast Guard Command conducted inspections to prevent marine accidents, lifeguards worked tirelessly to minimize the risk of drowning.

At Kemer Municipality Public Beach, four lifeguards were on duty during the holiday to ensure the safety of beachgoers. They not only responded to near-drowning incidents but also provided first aid for minor injuries and cuts on the beach. Throughout the holiday, Soner Birden rescued five vacationers from drowning. Yesterday, he saved a Turkish vacationer who had suffered a leg cramp and was struggling to stay afloat. After bringing the vacationer to shore, Birden was declared a hero by the other beachgoers. The rescue, recorded on camera, shows Birden bringing the vacationer to shore amid cheers and calls of "hero" from the crowd.

Reflecting on the busy holiday period, lifeguard Soner Birden said, "Our tourism season has been very busy, and it intensified during the holiday. We have seen an increase in drowning incidents. We ask our citizens to be more careful when entering the sea. Since the first day of the holiday, we have dealt with five drowning incidents. We rescued local and foreign vacationers in danger of drowning and handed them over to health teams. As lifeguards, all we expect is a simple thank you from those whose lives we save. It's a small gesture that means a lot to us. Unfortunately, in these five cases, we didn’t receive any thanks. Their conditions were fine, and some even returned to our beach after being discharged from the hospital, but we still didn't get any appreciation."