Dramatic moment RNLI lifeboat volunteers rescue 11-year-old boy who had drifted out to sea in inflatable dinghy after desperate mother yelled at him not to try swimming to shore

• RNLI crew at the Dungeness station leapt into action once alerted to events
• They found the boy cold and wet but otherwise fine more than a mile offshore
• Video footage shows the boy’s relief and eagerness to leave the sea behind him
• The RNLI is urging people to check wind direction before going into the sea 

Dramatic video footage shows the moment a young schoolboy was rescued by the RNLI after being blown more than a mile out to sea by strong winds in the midst of this week’s heat wave.

The 11-year-old was at the beach with his family on Tuesday near Dungeness, Kent.

He was in an orange inflatable dinghy at sea when strong winds caught him and he was blown offshore.

The incident occurred as the public flocked to nearby beaches and lakes on the hottest day ever recorded in the UK. 

A member of the public called 999 and asked for the Coastguard as his mother desperately shouted at him not to try and swim ashore, but to stay on board the dinghy.

The Dungeness volunteer RNLI crew leapt into action and rushed out to search for the youngster.

The lifeboat can be seen approaching the orange dinghy in the video, as crew members call out to the boy to ensure he is alright

As they approached the 11-year-old, the crew reassured him and told him he had done the right thing by staying in his dinghy

The footage, released by the RNLI, shows the lifeboat pulling up alongside the boy in the dinghy, which is bobbing in an otherwise empty sea.

One male volunteer remarks that the dinghy has gone far out to sea in not a long time.

The second female volunteer shouts to the boy, dressed in neon-green swimming shorts, to check he is alright, giving him a thumbs up and telling him: ‘Well done for staying there [in the dinghy].’ 

The first crew member uses a pole to hook the dinghy and pull it close alongside the boat, where the second crew member reaches down and picks up the 11-year-old, holding him tight to her chest as she pulls him onto the boat. 

Before making physical contact with the boy she speaks to him again, and the youngster appears relieved and manages a small smile.

The crew even managed to pick the family dinghy out of the water too, and returned it to shore. 

The boy’s mother said: ‘I shouted out to him to stay still and stay on the boat, and he listened.

One volunteer used a pole to hook the boy’s vessel and bring him closer to his partner, who reached out to take hold of it

‘I can’t explain the emotions I went through when I saw him drifting out to sea. In that moment, I felt like I lost him.

‘When the lifeboat crew brought my son back to me, I thanked them for saving his life and I can remember one crew member saying, ‘we didn’t save him, he saved himself by staying on the inflatable dinghy’.

‘I can’t thank the crew at Dungeness enough for saving my child and bringing him back safely.’

Volunteer crew member Stuart Richardson said: ‘The boy’s family on the beach could see their son being blown offshore and realising the situation was quickly worsening did the right thing in calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard.

‘He also did the right thing by staying seated in the dinghy until help arrived. 

‘When we reached him, he was very cold and scared but otherwise well and we warmed him up with blankets, biscuits, and a drink before reuniting him with his parents.

Stuart added: ‘He was found more than a mile offshore which shows just how quickly an offshore wind can blow an inflatable out to sea so we would encourage people visiting the coast to always check which way the wind is blowing before entering the sea.

‘Also by choosing a lifeguarded beach where possible and swimming between the red and yellow flags it means our highly-trained lifeguards can keep a watchful eye over those enjoying the water.’

The RNLI always expect to be busy during the summer holidays – last summer its volunteers saved 41 lives, 39 per cent of whom were children under 13.

The charity operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland and says that since being founded in 1824, its lifeboats and crews have saved more than 142,700 lives.

Source: Read Full Article