Two sailors, who weren’t wearing life jackets, have been rescued at Rye in East Sussex after their dinghy was blown into the harbour wall.

The boat had suffered engine failure.

A third crew member managed to swim to shore.

Luckily for the two men still with the dinghy, RNLI lifeguards Jake Webb and Brett Wood were notified about the incident by the UK Coastguard, and immediately launched the RNLI rescue jet-ski from Camber Sands Central Beach.

The volunteer crew with the Rye lifeboat was also deployed.

On arrival, Webb and Wood, who are both from Australia, found one man in the water between the 15-foot fibreglass dinghy and the harbour wall, and another man, who was unable to swim, still on board.

“None of the men were wearing life jackets and the man in the boat was a non-swimmer. The lifeguards used the jet ski to take both men safely to the beach before the Rye lifeboat arrived and was able to tow the dinghy back to shore,” explained an RNLI spokesman.

RNLI lifeguards Jake Webb and Brett Wood. Credit: RNLI/Joe Mitchell

Commenting on the incident, Webb, who is an acting senior lifeguard, said: “For me it’s all part of the job. The men were in a dangerous situation between the harbour and the wall and both were very thankful when we put them on the beach.”

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RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor Joe Mitchell stressed the importance of being properly prepared before going out on the water.

“Our lifeguards receive world-class training and this rescue demonstrates just how versatile they can be,’ he said.

“Mechanical breakdowns are always a possibility and we’d advise people to carry safety equipment, such as life jackets, in case the worse happens,” stressed Mitchell.

Last year, RNLI lifeguards saved 127 lives, attended 17,414 incidents and helped 20,538 people.

The charity’s 1300 lifeguards patrol more than 240 beaches across the UK and Channel Islands.