Lifeboats rescue youngsters stranded after lilo escapade

The youngsters, aged between 14 and 16 and sharing just two inflatables between them, had to be scooped up by RNLI volunteers after becoming stranded on a jetty of rocks far out from the North Berwick shoreline.

A more adventurous member of the party swam out an extra 200 metres into the open sea and was resting on a more distant ledge of rocks when he was rescued.

Using the inshore vessel, North Berwick lifeboat crews launched at around 4.15pm - within six minutes of the call-out - and performed three trips into open sea to safely return the teenagers to land. The rescue was complete within 35 minutes.

North Berwick RNLI's deputy launch authority Ted Hill said that due to the chilly water temperatures the incident had the potential to be much more serious.

"You can laugh and say no one died but it's what could have happened, that is the trouble," he said.

"Paddling out that far can be very dangerous because, if you fall from the lilo and into the sea, you are instantly immersed in very cold water. On the surface, the temperature can be quite mild but in deeper water it's much colder and hypothermia can set in very rapidly."

He added: "People seriously underestimate the effect of water temperature. It would have been about 7 or 9 degrees celcius. The chill factor would kick in and the journey back to land could have been that bit more hazardous."

Mr Hill said after being submerged in cold water for between 10 to 15 minutes the situation can become "very serious", and after around 40 minutes it can result in death by hypothermia.

Earlier in the afternoon the group had been spotted "tombstoning" into high tide from the harbour wall before deciding to paddle in the sea.

"We are a bit iffy about that (tombstoning] but do not want to discourage youngsters from enjoying the beach and harbour area," said Mr Hill.

The RNLI chief added that people watching from the shore were "very concerned" about the safety of the children and praised the mystery beach-goer who telephoned coastguards for assistance.

He said, however, that the daring youngsters had learned their lesson when they got back to dry land. "By the time they got to shore they were all aware that they pushed the boat out a bit far," said Mr Hill.

"They were cold and it was a scary situation for them to be in. They were also suitably chastened, but we do not want to dampen the enthusiasm for outdoor activities."

Mr Hill said it was a "close call" whether any of the party's lives were in danger but said there was always the potential given the water temperature.

He issued a parental warning for summertime beach-users: "Watch your kids when they go to the water and do not get too far or too deep."