Chapel St Leonards: Girl, 6, saved from inflatable drifting out to sea

The Skegness lifeboat crew were on a training exercise when they received the emergency call

A six-year-old girl has been rescued after drifting three-quarters of a mile out to sea on an inflatable.

Rescuers in Skegness were on a training exercise when they received a distress call on Tuesday, said the RNLI.

The child was on an inflatable the size of a bodyboard and winds were blowing her out to sea off Chapel St Leonards.

The lifeboat crew located the stranded girl despite challenging conditions and praised the "swift action" of onlookers who raised the alarm.

The crew arrived within 15 minutes of receiving an emergency call but were faced with wind gusts of up to 19 knots, which were "pushing the child further out to sea".

RNLI Skegness Senior Helm, Lee St Quinton people to avoid using inflatables in "strong winds or rough seas, and always supervise children"

RNLI Skegness Senior Helm Lee St Quinton said a member of the public tried to guide them towards the child's location but "the considerable distance between the shore and the casualty made initial identification challenging".

"The promptness of the public in raising the alarm this time significantly increased the chances of survival for our young casualty," he said.

"We owe this successful rescue to their swift action."

Mr St Quinton warned people to avoid using inflatables in "strong winds or rough seas, and always supervise children".

"Offshore winds can turn inflatables into dangerous objects at sea, swiftly carrying you away from shore. We strongly discourage their use in the sea," he said.

"If you notice someone in danger, promptly dial 999 and request the Coastguard."

The volunteer rescuers faced challenging conditions including wind gusts of up to 19 knots