Withernsea: RNLI inflatables warning after family dinghy rescue

The RNLI has issued a safety warning after two incidents involving inflatables on Saturday

A family of five, including two children, were rescued after being swept almost two miles out to sea in an inflatable dinghy, the RNLI has said.

The group, who were not wearing life jackets, drifted out off Withernsea in East Yorkshire on Saturday afternoon.

In a separate call, crews rescued two teenagers whose dinghy had also drifted out from shore.

The RNLI said those involved could easily have drowned and urged people to leave inflatables at home.

Helmsman Sean Bell from the charity said the family in the dinghy were facing offshore winds and a breaking surf.

'Recipe for disaster'

"It was a large inflatable, hence the reason it caught the wind very well," he said.

"They absolutely got dragged out, out of their depth - it was a recipe for disaster," he added.

RNLI operations manager Steve Medcalfe said some people in the family had also been drinking and did not "understand the seriousness of what had happened".

"They had paddles but that wouldn't have made a wild bit of difference not with the strength of the winds," he said.

In the second incident, the teenagers had not realised the seriousness of the situation, the RNLI said.

The charity said it wanted people to come and enjoy the coast, but to do so safely.

The call-outs follow the death of a teenager earlier this month while two police officers were praised for risking their lives to rescue a woman in the sea off Skegness in the early hours of Saturday.

RNLI beach safety advice:

• Visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags

• Check the weather forecast, tide times and read local hazard signage to understand local risks

• Keep a close eye on your family - on the beach and in the water - and don't allow your family to swim alone

• If you fall into the water unexpectedly, float to live, as the RNLI's campaign says - fight instincts to thrash around, lean back, extend your arms and legs, and float

• In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard