Couple rescued from inflatable dinghy blown to sea

The RNLI has warned people against using inflatables in the sea

A couple were minutes away from sinking after their inflatable dinghy was blown out to sea, the RNLI has warned.

The man and woman were rescued about half a mile out off Cullercoats Bay, in North Tyneside, at about 14:00 BST on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the Cullercoats RNLI crew said both people were "suffering from extreme cold and shock" and passed to the care of the ambulance service.

The lifeboat charity has frequently warned people against using inflatables at sea as they are hard to control and can swiftly be carried out into deeper waters.

The Cullercoats spokeswoman said the couple were dressed "only" in shorts and light clothing, were without safety equipment and their oars had snapped.

"With the speed the dinghy was becoming unseaworthy, the casualties only had a matter of minutes before entering the water," she added.

They had a phone so were able to raise the alarm, as did "concerned onlookers", the spokeswoman said.

The rescue came hours before the station was visited by fundraising motorists from London who are attempting to visit all 238 lifeboat stations in 911 hours.