Bangor RNLI has issued a plea to the public not to take inflatables into the sea. It comes following an incident where an 11-year-old boy had to be rescued more than one mile out to sea.
The Co Down based life-saving institution said they can often be called 'killjoys' for their safety advice on inflatables but urged people to reconsider due to how fast you can be swept out to sea.
In a statement they said: "The RNLI is sometimes accused of being killjoys with our warnings about inflatable toys, paddle boards, kayaks etc.,
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"People say 'Where's the harm, the kids love playing in the water, and they are only a few feet away from the shore'.
"Tell that to this mother, and imagine the thoughts going through this young boy's mind."
Sharing details and footage of an incident that happened in Kent, England they explained how an 11-year-old had to be rescued when he was swept out over a mile.
Reliving the ordeal, the boy's mother said: "‘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'."
The RNLI Bangor explained: "RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat station saved an 11-year-old boy on an orange inflatable dinghy after members of the public and the boys family called 999. He was found more than A MILE OUT TO SEA - an offshore wind can quickly blow an inflatable away from the shore.
"The child did the right thing, staying seated in the dinghy until help arrived. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if you spot someone in trouble on the coast."
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