Jill Biden Meets Veterans' Surf Therapy Group

The US First Lady has heard how surfing has helped a group of military veterans dealing with mental health issues to smile again.

Dr Jill Biden remarked that "the water is so calming" after she was told that a Cornwall-based club that provides social support and surfing excursions for veterans, first responders and their families had been "life-saving".

She was speaking to members of the Bude Surf Veterans in Newlyn, Penzance, in the county where world leaders have gathered for the G7 summit.

A member told her that being on the water had got people "surfing" and "smiling".

The words "Surf, Grow, Heal, Bude Surf Veterans" stood out on the group's light blue, collared shirts.

Working with military families is a cause that is close to Dr Biden's heart.

Her military ties include her father Donald Jacobs who was a navy signalman in the Second World War while her stepson Beau served with the Delaware Army National Guard and told her to focus on the mental health of the forces before he died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46.

WATCH: Op Surf: Wounded Servicemen Take To The Waves.

Of her meeting with the veterans on Saturday, Dr Biden later told a reporter: "They're all dealing with PTSD or anxiety, a lot of mental health issues.

"But once they found surfing, and they reached out to other veterans who are, you know, need healing and help with their mental health.

"It's just a way to build back their confidence and to help them deal with life and get on the right track again and so I think the water is so healing, and then this whole sense of community with the veterans with one another.

"And so it means a lot to me as... my dad was a veteran and, of course, Beau."

She also said she had done "a lot" of work with the Invictus Games, which was founded by the Duke of Sussex in 2014, and the charity Walking With The Wounded which seeks to provide independence for vulnerable veterans through employment.

Dr Biden added: "There's so many connections and that's why it was important to hear their stories and hear how they've triumphed."

Cover image: US First Lady Jill Biden at the G7 summit in Cornwall (Picture: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo).