Cleethorpes: Rescues spark RNLI warning over sea inflatables

Cleethorpes RNLI said it dealt with two separate incidents at the weekend involving people unable to get back to shore

The RNLI has issued a safety warning after two people on inflatables had to be rescued when they were swept out to sea off North East Lincolnshire.

In one of the incidents at the weekend, a man on an inflatable kayak was seen struggling against a falling tide and offshore wind near Cleethorpes.

RNLI crew member Matt McNally said the man was more than a mile off the coast and unable to get back to shore.

Mr McNally said people needed to take extra care in the sea.

He added there was "no way" a large vessel could have avoided such a small inflatable, which was "getting quite close to the shipping lanes".

In a separate incident at the weekend, the occupant of a dinghy was rescued after getting into difficulty, Mr McNally said.

"In both cases, the wind was blowing off the shore and they both found themselves paddling against an outgoing tide and offshore wind.

"They were completely unable to get back on their own," he added.

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The Maritime and Coastguard Agency also reported a spate of paddleboard incidents over the weekend, including one in Somerset in which two women were blown offshore.

People have been advised to check the weather and tide times, avoid offshore winds and choppy seas, and use a buoyancy aid and a leash where applicable, it said.