Two men rescued from North Sea by RNLI near Seaton Carew

Hartlepool RNLI were called at 3.25pm by Humber Coastguard after an inflatable dinghy drifted out to sea at Seaton Carew.

Four volunteer crew members launched the RNLI boat at 3.40pm and soon were alongside two men who found themselves in difficulty.

The inshore lifeboat recovered the casualty, and another man who had swam out from the beach to help.

Volunteer crew members (left to right) Glen Pearson, James White, Jamie Northey and Mark Barke (Image: RNLI/Tom Collins)

The pair were handed over to the Hartlepool Coastguard team.

Hartlepool lifeboat operations manager Steve Pounder said: “A prompt response from the crew brought the incident to a successful outcome.

“An offshore wind can quickly blow inflatables out to sea. Please tether inflatable toys to prevent this situation, or don’t bring them to the beach.

“In this situation, it’s best to ring 999 and ask for the Coastguard and to keep the casualty in sight’.

Hartlepool RNLI inshore lifeboat helm Mark Barker added: “A quick launch from the Ferry Road boathouse meant we were on scene to recover the casualties who were both none the worse for their experience.

“We safely handed them over to the Coastguard team on the beach at Seaton Carew.”

The volunteer crew members then assisted a boat and its owner from Seaton Carew beach, which had suffered a mechanical failure, to a slipway near Hartlepool Marina.