Nine-year-old Walter Keeler, from Aylesbury, told how he remembered "not to panic" after he became stranded at sea when a leisure boat pulled away with his parents on board during a holiday14:06, 09 Jul 2026Updated 14:07, 09 Jul 2026A little “water baby” used the "float to live" technique to rescue himself when a leisure boat mistakenly left him behind while snorkelling in Turkey.‌Nine-year old-Walter Keeler used his rookie lifeguard skills as the current swept him and other swimmers out to sea. His horrified parents watched helplessly as the boat moved away prematurely, leaving their child behind.‌His dad was about to join him when the boat set off, accidentally abandoning Walter and about 20 other British holidaymakers, who remained 'bobbing about in the choppy water'.‌For an agonising 15 minutes, his parents Elaine and Charles watched helplessly as they shouted desperately at the boat captain to turn around. But calm Walter drew on his training to stay safe after watching the boat move away.Walter has been taking lessons at Stoke Mandeville Stadium since October 2020 and swims twice a week with the advanced classes. He was taught both stroke techniques and crucial lifesaving and water safety skills through the RLSS UK’s Rookie Lifeguard programme.‌Now aged ten, Walter, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, told the Mirror about his ordeal last August, to support our Save Lives for Sam water safety campaign.“Even though I was scared, I remembered my Rookie Lifeguards lessons, so I flipped onto my back and floated to save my energy. I’d remembered ‘don’t panic. "He explained it was the third stop of the boat trip off the coast of Kemer on the Turkish Riviera.‌Walter said: “It was just very scary. When we had stopped before you could also see the bottom and it was a safe spot.“But in the third one the water was choppy and it was really muddy and you couldn't see the bottom.‌"The boat started moving away and I thought ‘if they do go back to our resort, how are we going to get back? I was quite scared.“I was pretty much alone, I lost my mask. A few of the waves were quite big. I did bob under a few times.“But I remembered ‘don’t panic if you are ever in trouble’ and ‘lay on your back’, steady breathing as well. "‌His dad, Charles, 44, recalled how they were not so calm last August and explained: “We were on a boat trip, we’d done two stops at two beautiful places and they were quite calm spots. My wife Elaine is not fond of the sea so I went into the water. It was fine, we were playing, Walter is a confident swimmer and so am I.“After we stopped for the third time after lunch, they put the anchor down and I told him: ‘You go, we'll watch you from the back and I will join you in a little while’. He then got into the water from the little jetty on the back.“Maybe 20 people went in and Walter and quite a few people had swam away from the boat. After a minute or two, he swam away from the boat, and then suddenly they started up the engine again which caused quite a lot of panic.‌“One of the crew went straight to the back of the boat and warned people not to get off. Then he started pulling away.“There was a point when I realised I would not be able to get there if Walter went under, so I felt sheer panic really. They had pulled quite far away. It was quite choppy. I realised I was too far to reach him if anything went wrong, I felt absolutely helpless.“‌Mum Elaine, 44, said: “One girl, who was in her teens, was struggling with the waves and me and another lady were shouting ‘she can’t swim, she can’t swim’. The crew member was just giving her the thumbs up.“She went under a few times so it felt like ages but eventually one of the crew dived in and went in for her.”The couple said the crew member swam to her with a life jacket but did not throw any more in for the others in the water.‌Elaine said: “I panicked. I could see all the swimmers in the sea with the water coming up over them. I was watching Walter all the time and I could see the waves coming up and over him.“I had my eyes glued on him and was screaming to Charlie ‘you need to get in, you need to get in’. People were panicking.”The mum said: “The waves were my biggest fear. I could see that Walter knew what he was doing but in my mind I was thinking if he went under that water, I don’t know if he could get himself back up again. But he was self-saving and being a little trooper.”‌The RNLI share ‘Float To Live’ advice and join forces with the Mirror to help save lives this summerWalter added: “When the boat came back and I got on the boat, I was definitely relieved and mummy gave me a massive hug."I am so grateful to all my swim teachers and my drowning prevention lessons."‌Elaine added: “He didn’t get up first he swam up to the boat and remained treading water to let other people get out first.”His proud dad Charles added: “It was brilliant to watch, after the initial panic and the boat moving away, when we could see him over the waves you could see him laying down.”Walter’s parents said their son had been in the water since he was six weeks of age and had ‘years of years of swimming lessons’ but they were relieved he had been taught water safety.‌Elaine said: “When he was doing the training and was doing about how to stay safe in the water again, I rolled my eyes when he told me and said ‘again!’. But when we got home from holiday I could not give a bigger hug to all of those teachers for going over it time again because those were his words ‘I just remember don’t panic’.”“Because of what he’s learned, he had the ability to stay safe in a situation that could’ve gone very differently.”‌Floating is a lifesaving skill for self-rescue and an essential part of the Water Safety Code. Safely back at home, Walter has been recognised with a bravery certificate from the RLSS UK.The advice is to ‘Find Your Float’ by tilting your head back, relaxing your breathing, and slowly moving your hands and legs.Ashley Jones, RLSS UK Head of Water Safety and Education said: “Walter’s quick thinking and ability to stay calm when sea conditions changed is a testament to the knowledge and skills he learned in RLSS UK’s Rookie Lifeguard programme, which offers 8–12-year-old swimmers an opportunity to build confidence, learn teamwork, and respond to emergency situations with lifesaving skills.Article continues below“It’s vital that young people learn not just how to swim, but also how to stay safe in the water. The Rookie Lifeguard programme is available in both pool and beach settings around the UK, with activities designed to teach water safety in an empowering way.“Everyone, whether a Rookie Lifeguard or not, should learn to float – and RLSS UK encourages practicing this lifesaving skill before getting into water on holiday this summer.“To float, tilt your head back, keep your airway clear and your ears submerged. Spread your arms and legs and gently move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat. Everyone floats differently, so don’t worry if your legs sink. Once your breathing is under control you can then shout for help or swim to safety.”