TEENAGERS, LAST SEEN FLOATING OUT TO SEA ON INFLATABLE BOAT, FOUND

Dover Coastguard has been coordinating the search this evening for three teenagers last seen on an inflatable toy boat in Pegwell Bay, off Sandwich.
The Coastguard was called at 9.30 pm this evening by Ramsgate Port to report that the three children had been spotted at the entrance to the River Stour on a semi inflated toy rubber boat.
The Margate, Deal and Langdon coastguard rescue teams searched along the shoreline for the children. The Ramsgate all weather and inshore RNLI lifeboats and the two Walmer RNLI lifeboats were requested to launch and searched an area off Ramsgate whilst a rescue helicopter from RAF Wattisham was scrambled and joined the search.
Spike Hughes, Dover Coastguard Rescue Coordination Centre Manager says:
“I am very relieved to say that we have just found the three children in Grange Road, Ramsgate after they were spotted by a member of the public and reported to us. They still had their boat with them.
Inflatable boats and toys are great fun in the swimming pool, but don’t use them at the seaside. As we can see from this incident, they can easily be blown out to sea. These children were very fortunate to have made it to shore. Others may not be so lucky.”
ENDS

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