Urgent warning to beachgoers about inflatables that could be deadly – here’s how to stay safe

COASTGUARDS have issued an urgent warning to beachgoers about a water toy that could prove deadly.

Authorities issued a warning on inflatables after they rescued two men who floated 200m out to sea on a giant blow up duck.

The pair were saved after a friend in a kayak and a bystander on a paddleboard pulled them close enough to shore to swim back to dry land.

The men had been paddling at Westward Ho! beach in north Devon on June 4 when they floated far away from the shore.

After initially floating 75 meters the men had apparently realised their error and attempted to paddle back.

But they were only pulled further out into the Bristol Channel.

Thankfully a concerned bystander called nearby RNLI Appledore volunteers, who arrived at the scene just as the men managed to return to the shore.

Crew member Del Elsemore swam in to check on them.

Mr Elsemore said: "The quick thinking of this member of the public with a paddleboard prevented a nasty situation turning much worse. He was the real lifesaver of the day."

The service warned that inflatable toys are hard to control and in strong winds and currents can drift into open water in "seconds".

A spokeswoman for the RNLI charity said: "With the strong tides and off-shore breezes of the Bristol Channel, Appledore RNLI urges people never to take an inflatable toy into the sea.

";There is no way to control these and they get pulled out from shore within seconds.

"If any member of the public sees someone getting into difficulty in the water, please, as this eyewitness did, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard."

Brighton and City Hove Council have also urged beachgoers to not use inflatables in the sea.

The council warned that there had been "fatal incidents" as a result of the common beach toys.

A warning on their website states: "With the sunny weather continuing, we’re urging residents and visitors to keep themselves safe if they go in the sea and not to use inflatables.

"Brighton & Hove’s coastline can be extremely dangerous, with winds coming in from multiple directions causing dangerous wave conditions on the shoreline.

"The RNLI guidance is that inflatables, blow-up toys and airbeds are designed for pools, and shouldn't be used in the sea, as they can easily be swept out. "

The coastguard have previously warned people on inflatable unicorns, flamingoes and dinghys after incidents in the past few years.

HM Coastguard's Piers Stanbury previously said: "We can't stress enough - inflatables are not suitable for use in the sea."