Surfers help save teenageboys as lifeboat launched

THREE teenage boys’ lives were saved yesterday when surfers noticed their rubber ring had overturned.

At 11am a phone call from Humber coastguards alerted the RNLI Whitby Lifeboathouse that the ring had overturned near Upgang Ravine and there were children in the water.

The inshore lifeboat OEM Stone III was launched five minutes later and reached the casualties in six minutes.

Surfers nearby kept the casualties afloat until the lifeboat arrived.

The three boys from Teeside were brought aboard and landed at the RNLI lifeboat station. They were taken to hospital for a check-up.

An eye witness, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s a good job the surfers were there and acted so quickly. It could have been a tragedy.”