A group of young people had to be rescued off the Angus Coast after their inflatables were carried out to sea.
Arbroath RNLI launched both lifeboats after reports that the youngsters were in difficulty off the coast at East Haven, near to Carnoustie.
Busy day for lifeboat crews
The incident happened just before 6pm on Saturday as the heatwave made it a very busy day for lifeboat crews throughout Angus.
The call out was one of many during the day as temperatures soared into the 80s.
A warning has now gone out to ask people to take care with inflatables when at the seaside.
Young people floating out to sea
A spokesman for Arbroath lifeboat crew said: “Both of the towns lifeboats were launched at 5.45pm on Saturday to reports of young people floating out to sea on inflatables at East Haven beach.
The Inshore Lifeboat was first to arrive on scene and got the casualties onboard and ensured everyone was well and accounted for.”
He said the youngsters were taken back to be beach which, by the time they were rescued was around half a mile away.
Danger
ILB helmsman Ali Keeble said: “This was a callout with the potential to have a bad outcome, but thanks to the member of the public, who noticed the danger the casualties were in, everyone is safe back on dry land.”
He said: “Inflatables can be great fun when they’re used safely. But every summer, they’re one of the most common reasons our lifeboat crews and lifeguards are called to action.
“They’re not designed for the beach so it’s easy to get swept out to sea.”
Safety tips
The RNLI have issued the following safety tips for anyone taking an inflatable to the beach:
Choose a lifeguarded beach
Use your inflatable close to shore and between the red and yellow flags
Make sure children are supervised
Never use inflatables in big waves or if there is an offshore wind.
And if you see someone in trouble, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
There were several incidents around the Angus coastline on Saturday that saw local lifeboat crews called out on numerous occasions.