Moment seaside cafe owner saves drowning children by throwing life rings

Moment seaside cafe owner saves drowning children by throwing life rings A hero ran out of his cafe and jumped into the water with a life ring to save three young kids struggling in the water at a UK beach This is the incredible moment a heroic cafe owner sprinted into the sea at a beach and saved three children who got into difficulty. Steven Doorey-Williams had been working at the Bayside Cafe, by Dumpton Gap beach, near Broadstairs, Kent, when he heard the screams of children. Dramatic footage showed the brave man as he ran into the water fully clothed and threw a life ring to pull out the kids struggling in the waves. Doorey-Williams, an ex-Royal Marine and former firefighter, saved a young girl and two young boys from the choppy waters, on Wednesday. The cafe owner, speaking to the BBC, recalled the terrifying moment when the waves and wind were taking the kids "further out". He said: "It was around two in the afternoon and I was cooking in the cafe when one of the beach hut owners came in shouting for help. "So I stopped everything, ran outside and saw a boy and girl out to sea who were struggling to get back on dry land. The waves were high, the wind was up and they were being taken further out." The ex-Royal Marine said he first saved the girl by putting the ring around her and one of the boys held on to the back. The incredible video showed Doorey-Williams using the ring again to save the third child. The RNLI praised the cafe owner for his incredible act but south east water safety lead, Guy Addington, added: "While this had a positive outcome, we would like to remind the public that entering the water to help someone in difficulty can put additional lives at risk." The RNLI advised people to phone 999 or 112 if they see someone in troible in the water and ask for the coastguard. The person in trouble in the water should also be encouraged to float on their back. The Mirror has launched the Save Lives for Sam water safety campaign in a bid to end the heartbreaking number of children who drown each year in England. The Mirror has launched the Save Lives For Sam water safety campaign to tackle the UK's growing drowning crisis. Backed by MPs, Olympic champions, national water safety organisations and bereaved families, the campaign is calling for urgent action to make our waters safer. That includes compulsory water safety lessons in schools, a nationwide public awareness campaign, better lifesaving equipment at high-risk waterways, the introduction of Sam's Law , and a dedicated Minister for Water Safety. Find out more about the campaign and how you can support it here .