Five children on inflatable dinghies rescued at Prestatyn

The children, one as young as three, had to be rescued after they were spotted drifting out to sea at Prestatyn in two inflatables.

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Five children, aged between three and 11, had be rescued after they began drifting out to sea in two dinghies off Prestatyn beach, North Wales.

The youngsters had tied the two inflatables together and were using spades as paddles.

RNLI lifeguards, Anastassis Lamprou and Simon Pilkington, spotted the four boys and one girl and immediately responded on their rescue boards.

As they reached the children, the inflatable snagged on the rocks and started to fill up with water.

The youngest child, a three-year-old boy, was transferred to Pilkington’s rescue board and was taken to shore first.

Lamprou stayed with the remaining children to keep them calm, while Pilkington ferried the children, one by one, back to the beach.

Once on land, the children were all checked over and given safety advice by the lifeguards before being returned to their parents.

The incident happened on 17 July.

The RNLI lifeguard supervisor, Matt Jessops, said: “It’s very important that people are careful when using inflatables on the coast and not to use them at all if there are offshore winds.”

“If you’re unsure please ask the lifeguards, they’ll be more than happy to offer advice and help,” he stressed.

RNLI lifeguards provide a daily safety service on Rhyl and Prestatyn beach throughout the summer.

The charity’s lifeguards are ready at their posts between 10am-6pm to offer safety advice and assistance over the summer holidays.

Some of the men in their makeshift raft off Anglesey

5 rescued from makeshift raft

The Moelfre inshore lifeboat rescued the five men on their makeshift raft as they struggled to paddle back to shore…