Sea swimming: Lifeguards urge safety first as more people take to the water

Sea swimming is getting more and more popular - but that is leading to more and more incidents in the water.

Lifeguards dealt with 330 incidents in Northern Ireland last year and are asking people to be safe if they are keen to take to the sea.

Karl O'Neill, a lifeguard supervisor at Portrush, said they rescued and assisted more people on one day last year than in the previous 10 years.

The RNLI's guidance includes making sure you stay visible, telling people where you are going and when you expect to be back and have a means for calling for help.