Sittingbourne pupils from Borden and Highsted Grammar presented with bravery awards after saving man’s life at Minster Leas Beach

Three pupils have been presented with bravery awards for saving a man’s life who was stuck in the sea.

Max Markham, Ella Selfe, and Jersie Wiles pulled a struggling swimmer out of the water and phoned for an ambulance earlier this year.

The group were walking along Minster Leas Beach on Sheppey in July when they sprung into action.

It was later revealed the man, who was “close to death” but since recovered, was former Royal Marines Commando, carer and grandad Wayne Sullivan.

He previously told KentOnline: “I've been in war zones and had bullets flying around me.

“That was the very closest I'd ever come to death and those youngsters saved me. More importantly, they saved my family from catastrophic trauma.”

To praise them for their efforts, Cllr Elliot Jayes (Swale Inds), chairman of Minster-on-Sea Parish Council, paid a visit to the children’s schools in Sittingbourne.

Last Thursday (October 3), he spoke to the headteacher of Highsted Grammar, Anne Kelly, who recognised both Ella and Jersie - who were just 13 at the time of the incident - for their efforts.

“We are immensely proud of them and they rightly deserve this important award,” she commented.

“As young people at the heart of their community, they demonstrated courage and selflessness to help someone in distress; remarkable qualities which should be celebrated.”

Ella said: “When I told my parents we had rescued a man from drowning they were really proud as my dad is a firefighter.”

Jersie added: “It made me feel so happy knowing that I had saved someone from drowning.”

Cllr Jayes also met with the headteacher of Borden Grammar, Ashley Tomlin, and an assembly was held for Max, who was just 12 when the incident happened, on Tuesday, September 24.

“It was read out what he had done to deserve the award and then we called him up to the front,” he explained.

“I'm not sure if the school had told him as he looked very surprised!

“I shook his hand and thanked him for what he'd done on behalf of Sheppey. It’s always nice to see a good news story about children from our Island.”

In July 2023, Swale Council announced the beach in Minster would no longer have a lifeguard presence.

The RNLI decided to focus on other areas following difficulties in recruiting.

Cllr Jayes said: “We can't get lifeguards for love nor money. I've been told that in the past 11 years, only one person has been recruited from the Island.

“The RNLI ships lifeguards in from Thanet all throughout the summer. At the moment, they can only cover the Sheerness and Leysdown Beach.”

He hopes that the three children will become “budding lifeguards of the future”.