Scots lifeboat crews save children swept out to sea on paddleboard in high winds

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A lifeboat crew were scrambled to a dramatic rescue after reports of a group of children being swept out to sea while paddleboarding.

The RNLI teams from East Lothian raced to the "dangerous situation" this afternoon.They were sent out in 40mph winds after the alarm was raised by several 999 calls at around 4.30pm due to the youngsters being in serious need of a rescue.

Crews attempted to reach the group by swimming out, with the paddleboarders drifting 800m from their launch site. The lifeboat arrived to find one child and two adults on one paddleboard, with two other children safely ashore, Edinburgh Live reports.A spokesperson for the RNLI said: "The casualties were brought on board the lifeboat and transferred to the lifeboat station where they were checked over by members of the Scottish Ambulance Service."North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team brought other two casualties to the lifeboat station where they were monitored in the warm and dry until they were discharged."Helm of North Berwick lifeboat, Fraser Fulton, said “This was a very serious situation, thankfully with a positive outcome.

Offshore winds can be deceiving and can very quickly take you away from safety.“The water around North Berwick is cold, even in summer, if you fall into the water it will be a shock and you will get cold very quickly, potentially losing coordination in your arms and legs and finding it difficult to swim.“If you’re heading out on the water on a paddleboard, check the forecast and avoid offshore winds.