Swimmers jumping from pier rescued by jet skiers

The swimmers had been jumping in the sea from Central Pier in Blackpool

Three men who got into difficulty when they jumped from a pier into the sea were rescued by a group of passing jet skiers.

Blackpool RNLI was called to assist at about 16:00 BST on Saturday near Central Pier, but all of the swimmers had already been pulled to safety.

Steve Fitzgerald from the RNLI said: "We've got to give them credit, they saw the swimmers were in trouble straight away and took the effort to bring them in to shore.

It was one of nine call outs the RNLI received as people headed to the coast over the warm weekend.

"We appreciate people at sea recognising that they've got to look out for other each other," Mr Fitzgerald added.

Steve Fitzgerald from the RNLI said people must be prepared if they are going in the sea

He said: "People feel the warmth in the air, but the sea temperature is still about 10 degrees centigrade.

"That's not conducive to anyone jumping in.

"Cold water shock and hypothermia can hit you very quickly.

"The sea is not a place you take lightly, you've got to be prepared if you're going in."

Mr Fitzgerald said it was one of nine calls that Blackpool RNLI received in the space of 48 hours over the weekend.

They included concerns for people's safety in the water, a vessel adrift off Cleveleys and a broken down jet ski.