Mother goes into sea to rescue her daughter

Reverend Chloe Kingdon said the sea was "determined to take us out further"

A mother who rescued her daughter after she was dragged out to sea by strong currents has warned others things can go wrong "in a flash".

On Thursday, Reverend Chloe Kingdon stopped on Dunster Beach in Somerset to allow her daughter and a friend to go for a dip, as they had done many times before.

She said the two children, aged 10 and 11, were paddling waist deep when they were suddenly swept off their feet.

Rev Kingdon jumped in after them and worked hard to bring them back to shore, where an RNLI crew treated them for water inhalation.

The children went for a waist-deep paddle on the Somerset beach

Rev Kingdon said the group were heading home at around 16:30 BST when the children began "nagging" her to go swimming.

"They know the rules," she said. "They know not to go in very far, they know it's dangerous.

"They were waist deep, jumping around and playing, and as I was watching them they suddenly disappeared out of view.

"I've never known a current like it. It was really, really strange.

"I could just see their two heads bobbing up and down, and I'm screaming but they're too far away to hear me."

A passer-by leapt into action, diving in after the children while the emergency services were called.

Crews from Minehead RNLI Lifeboat Station, the coastguard and the ambulance service were immediately dispatched.

As lifeguards went to the neighbouring Blue Anchor beach by mistake, Rev Kingdon said she felt she could not wait any longer.

She waded through the choppy water to reach her daughter, turning only to see her fellow rescuer clambering back to shore.

"That poor man had to take the agonising decision to save himself," she told BBC Radio Somerset.

"The waves were too strong."

'It was a fight'

Rev Kingdom managed to bring both children back to shore, where paramedics transported them to Musgrove Park Hospital for observation.

"Even when we think we are being responsible and respectful of the sea, in a flash, things can go wrong," she said.

"It was a fight and the sea was determined to take us out further."

Minehead RNLI said it sent two lifeboats to the area having heard two children were in trouble in the water.

"A bystander had bravely rescued the casualties, and all three required assessment for water inhalation," a statement added.