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Nova Scotians are inclined to escape their busy lives for the peace and tranquility of the seashore, by which we are surrounded. One such destination is Conrad’s Beach, beautifully sheltered and just minutes from Dartmouth. Popular for its long sandy beach and relatively gentle surf, it’s a maritime favourite.
This past July 17th, two strangers seeking the quintessential beach experience became acquainted and gained public acclaim at Conrad’s Beach.
Twelve-year-old Fiona, who was enjoying a day in the ocean with her friend Naomi and Naomi’s mom, was pulled into a hazardous rip current. Swimmers who are caught in a rip current, which can move at speeds of up to eight feet per second, often find themselves at risk of drowning.
“I was just in the water with my friend, and we were just jumping waves. One wave was too big for me to jump, so I just wanted to swim it. That one ended up taking me out to sea, and I didn’t notice until I couldn’t touch the ground,” Fiona recalled.
Hearing panicked cries for help, a woman sunning herself on the beach with an out-of-town friend jumped into action, swimming to the girl and successfully bringing her safely to shore despite the high waves that at times hid Fiona from view. That woman, Emily Churchill, a graduate from the nursing program at Memorial University in St. Jonh’s and former lifeguard is being hailed a hero after her brave and quick response.
Later that day, Fiona’s mom, Sarah Poulin took to social media to find and properly thank her daughter’s rescuer, whom Sarah only knew by her first name.
That prompted calls to the NSNU from reporters, hoping the Nurses’ Union could connect the mom and Fiona’s rescuer. With little information to go on and over 100 nurses named Emily in the NSNU database, the Union could not provide answers. However, Facebook contacts saved the day.
Once the nurse’s full identity was revealed, NSNU reached out to arrange a reunion between Emily and Fiona at a coffee shop in downtown Dartmouth on July 31st. Together, the two reserved and self-proclaimed introverts reconnected and recounted the unusual circumstances of the day they first met.
Emily, an avid beach goer and soccer player, praised the young girl for her swift thinking, saying their teamwork saved the day. Fiona reacted by staying focused and afloat, swimming diagonally, and signaling for help. Just two days prior to the incident, Fiona’s mom had instructed her to swim diagonally back to shore if she ever found herself in distress. Good job mom!
While both Emily and Fiona are uncomfortable in the spotlight and with the media attention they have received since that day at the beach, they contend they’ve made a lifelong bond. They don’t mind sharing their story if it leads to signage on that beach about the risks, a beach that does not have lifeguard service, to raise awareness about dangerous currents and swimming conditions.
Fiona says her memory of that day is a bit of a blur but that she’s eternally grateful to Emily. And, as Emily continues nursing at the IWK and Yellowknife this fall, she’s relieved her lifeguarding skills still hold up, and to have been there for Fiona.
As for mom, Sarah Poulin wrote the following message on Facebook:
“I’m just so thankful that nurse Emily was there to bring Fiona back. Fiona told me that it was too difficult for her to get out of the rip current. She just had to concentrate on staying afloat. This could have ended in complete tragedy for my family, and I am very thankful that God was watching over my daughter and sent someone to rescue her.”
One more shining example of a nurse going above and beyond the call of duty.
