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Prince Christian Of Denmark Carried Out To Sea, Rescued By Lifeguard

By Jennifer Deutschmann
Published on: 07:04 PST, Dec 21, 2015

Prince Christian of Denmark was rescued by a lifeguard after drifting out to sea along Australia’s Gold Coast. The 10-year-old boy was reportedly caught in a rip current while swimming at Mermaid Beach last Thursday. As the child was obviously in distress, lifeguard Nick Malcolm rescued the Count of Monpezat and brought him back to the shore.

According to reports, Malcolm was unaware of the boy’s identity prior to the harrowing rescue. However, as he believes he was simply doing his job, the lifeguard has been avoiding the public spotlight.

Malcolm’s supervisor, Stuart Keay, credits the lifeguard for saving Prince Christian of Denmark’s life. Although the child was not injured, Keay said that “he wouldn’t have come back” to the shore without assistance.

Although Nick Malcolm is shunning special attention, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark personally thanked the lifeguard for saving his son’s life. CNN reports Prince Christian of Denmark was visiting Mermaid Beach with his family, as his mother, Crown Princess Mary, is a native of Australia. HRH Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, Count of Monpezat, was born on October 15, 2005, and is second in line to become king of Denmark.

The grandson of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik, and the son of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Christian is the oldest of four children. His siblings include Prince Vincent, Princess Isabella, and Princess Josephine.

As reported by the Royal Post, Prince Christian of Denmark was named and christened on January 21, 2006. His eight godparents include Hamish Campbell, Jeppe Handwerk, Jane Stephens, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and Prince Joachim of Denmark.

The future prince was named Christian per Danish royal tradition. His three middle names are in honor of King Valdemar IV, his paternal grandfather Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, and his maternal grandfather John Donaldson.

Two years after he was christened, the 3-year-old boy attended his first royal engagement, which took place at the Copenhagen Zoo. The occasion, which was led by his grandfather, was the opening of the zoo’s new elephant house.

Unofficial Royalty reports Prince Christian of Denmark “will become the Crown Prince upon the accession of his father or if his father predeceases his grandmother.”

Following his attendance of the Queen Louise Children’s Wing preschool, Christian was enrolled at Tranegård School, where he became “the first member of the Danish royal family ever to attend a public school.”

Late last week, Prince Christian of Denmark was rescued by a lifeguard without further incident. Unfortunately, dozens of people are killed amid rip currents every year.

As defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rip currents “are powerful, fast-moving channels of water (up to 8 feet per second) that typically flow from the shoreline to beyond the area where waves break. They can form on any beach or lake shore where waves are breaking, often near sandbars, jetties and piers.”

In an interview with ABC News, Surf Life Saving Australia manager Matt Thompson confirmed rip currents “are the biggest killer in Australian waters.” An estimated 90 percent of the country’s drowning deaths are related to rip currents.

Although they are terribly dangerous, rip currents are often difficult to identify. According to the NOAA, the most prominent signs include an interruption in a line of steady waves. Waves carry water and debris toward the shore. However, rip currents carry the water and debris away from the shore.

When caught in a rip current, most people attempt to swim back to shore against the flow. Instead, the NOAA suggests swimming parallel with the beach to escape the strong current before attempting to return to the shore.

Thankfully, Prince Christian of Denmark was rescued by a lifeguard before he was carried too far out to sea or dragged underwater. Although he was somewhat shaken, the 10-year-old boy was not injured in the incident.

[Photo by Polfoto, Joachim Adrian, Pool, DENMARK OUT/AP]

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