Boy Drifts Over a Mile Out to Sea on UK’s Hottest Day
An 11-year-old boy was found cold and wet but safe after drifting more than a mile offshore near Dungeness, Kent. The youngster was blown out to sea in an orange inflatable dinghy on the hottest day ever recorded in the UK – a day when beaches were packed with sunseekers.
Quick-Thinking Family Calls Coastguard
The boy was with his family at the beach when strong winds caught his dinghy and pushed him further out to sea. His mother shouted at him to stay put and not try swimming back, while a bystander dialled 999 to alert the RNLI lifeboat crew.
The Dungeness volunteer lifeboat team sprang into action and raced out to rescue the boy. In dramatic footage, rescuers carefully approach the orange dinghy bobbing on the empty sea and call out to ensure the boy is okay.
Brave Boy Saves Himself by Staying Put
One female volunteer gave the boy a thumbs up, praising him for staying seated. Rescuers hooked the dinghy and pulled it alongside the boat before lifting the frightened but otherwise fine boy aboard. Wrapped in blankets and given warm drinks and biscuits, he soon smiled with relief.
“I shouted to him to stay still and stay on the boat, and he listened,” said the boy’s mother.
“I can’t describe how I felt seeing him drifting out to sea. I thought I’d lost him.”
“When the lifeboat crew returned my son, I thanked them for saving his life. One crew member said, ‘He saved himself by staying on the dinghy.’ I can’t thank the Dungeness crew enough.”
RNLI Warns of Dangers and Calls for Caution
Volunteer Stuart Richardson praised the family for calling 999 and the boy for keeping calm. “He was cold and scared but otherwise fine,” he said. “We warmed him up before reuniting him with his parents.”
Stuart warned how quickly offshore winds can carry inflatables miles out to sea. He urged visitors to check wind direction and, where possible, swim between the red and yellow lifeguard flags for safety.
The RNLI, which operates 238 lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland, saved 41 lives last summer – with nearly 40% under 13 years old. Since 1824, the charity claims its crews have rescued over 142,700 people from UK waters.
