Children praised after saving friend in harbour

The boy got into difficulty in Maryport Harbour on Thursday evening

A group of children who helped a friend who got into difficulty in the sea have been praised by emergency services.

Maryport Rescue said they received a 999 call on Thursday, at about 19:40 BST, regarding a child in the water at Maryport Harbour, Cumbria.

On arrival, they saw a boy being taken out by the tide, and witnessed other children throwing a life ring in his direction in order to pull him to safety at North Pier.

Mike Messenger, operations manager at Maryport Rescue, described the quick-thinking children's actions as "amazing".

"Us and other organisations have been visiting schools for many years delivering sea safety talks," said Mr Messenger.

"Quite a number of schools come to the lifeboat station visiting, and we stress the importance of being safe around the water and what to do in an emergency.

"We really are pleased that some of that information has actually stuck, and they've realised what they need to do."

He said he understood the children, who were in their early teens, had dialled 999 themselves and asked for the coastguard.

"I would say to parents and young kids, you should be very careful around water - even if it looks nice, it's definitely cold and can cause cold-water shock."

He reiterated that if people spot anyone in difficulty they should call 999.

"Hopefully it will be a much safer summer with all the messaging that's going round [on water safety]," he added.