Surf camp worker saves two women who nearly drowned in rip tide in Hull

HULL – Beach swimming is a great way to cool off in the summertime, but it can be dangerous.

Two weeks ago, two women nearly drowned when a rip tide carried them deep into the water in Hull.

There were no lifeguards in that area, but fortunately, a surf camp worker reached them just in time.

Matthew Lees, a 19-year-old who is a certified aquatic first responder and operates Northeast Surfing business with his father, says he only had seconds to react after the two women got caught in the rip current.

“I grabbed the board, sprinted down the beach, and paddled out to them. And they were on one of their last breaths there,” said Matthew Lees. “They said they’ve never really swam before. And they were standing in the water, and, all of sudden, they got ripped out 15-20 feet.”

With his board in hand, he rushed out to save them.

“It was hard. I tried to keep my cool. They were panicking a lot. They didn’t really know what to do. They said they’ve never been the water. They kept screaming, so I was telling them to calm down.”

Lees says there was no lifeguard on duty in that section of the beach at the time of the incident. Fortunately. his quick reaction and training was able to bring both women back to the beach safely. 

The paramedics came after that.

The Lees’ family says sometimes they are surprised by people who don’t know how to swim. And as they point out, the problem is once you set foot in the ocean, you put yourself at risk, just like those two women did. 

Matthew father, Ronnie Lees, who’s been running surf camps for kids and rents all types of equipment for nearly 20 years, says tragedy can happen in split second.

“I didn’t expect anything less. We spend countless hours training our staff, especially my son. He grew up in the ocean with me,” said Ronnie. “You need to be prepared before you walk into the ocean.

Matthew tells WBZ-TV that both swimmers are okay, but it was close call.