Rescuers save boy and father swept out to sea

The pair, from Glasgow, were spotted struggling to stay afloat outside the safe swim area on Saturday afternoon, after getting swept out about 100 yards from shore by a rip current.

RNLI lifeguards raced to the scene and managed to rescue them both, but say if they had been left in the water longer they could have drowned.

The boy, who was suffering from the onset of hypothermia and had swallowed a significant amount of water, was taken to hospital.

His father was described as “exhausted” but otherwise fine.

Lifeguard Tim Machon said: “We understand the boy had got into difficulty in the water and so his dad had gone to try to help him.

“Unfortunately, they both got caught in a rip current and really were in some difficulty when we reached them.

“Once back on the beach, the dad was extremely grateful and said they would both have drowned without our help.

“People should always swim between the red and yellow flags.

“Each day, we assess the safest area for swimming, taking into account a number of safety factors including the position of rip currents.”