A Red Cross lifeguard dived into the choppy Sliema sea to rescue a male swimmer who ran into difficulty as strong winds suddenly picked up in the area.

In footage posted to social media, the lifeguard can be seen pushing through the waves to bring the man back to shore safely after he was unable to to do so himself in Fond Għadir, Sliema.

In a public appeal, the Red Cross said that double red flags were raised at the time, meant to warm people away from swimming at that moment due to the weather. They noted that they have no legal obligation to save an individual after warning the public as such – but that in this case, they did so anyway to stop the man from drowning.

“Help us help you, follow the flags and don’t place yourself in unnecessary risk,” the organisation said. 

And luckily, the man was left without any injuries thanks to the timely intervention from the lifeguard.