Three girls put themselves in danger by wading into the sea while playing Pokémon Go.
Sussex Police received a call reporting concern for the girls, who were in rough seas near Hastings Pier, East Sussex, just before 9.30pm on Wednesday.
Hastings Coastguard Rescue Team and the Hastings RNLI inshore lifeboat were sent to the scene.
Police officers were able to get the girls out of the water minutes before the Coastguard and RNLI arrived.
The girls had ignored a red flag warning, which warns beach-goers of rough conditions.
A police spokesman said: “Officers established that the girls were looking for Pokemon. They were advised not to go in to the water.”
The incident led to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to issue a warning.
David Jones, duty controller for the UK Coastguard, said: “We have been made aware of a few incidents over the past few weeks involving Pokémon Go and we want to reiterate the safety message we put out last week.
“We don’t want to stop Pokémon hunters from having fun, but please be aware of your surroundings and be extra careful if you’re playing near water or the coast. Catching a pocket fictional creature is not worth losing your life over.
“A red flagged beach indicates the sea is rough and dangerous, even for the best swimmers, so we would never advise anyone to go in the sea if they see a red flag on the beach.”
Meanwhile, Wellington College in Crowthorne, Berkshire, has put up signs telling players of the Nintendo game that its grounds are out of bounds.
And in Plymouth, Devon, a foot passenger using the Torpoint Ferry was reportedly ejected after staying on the ferry for an extended period to catch Pokémon.
