Two children, 8 and 9, rescued by passing boat off Pendine after getting into difficulty in the sea

Credit: RNLI

Two young children aged eight and nine had to be pulled from the sea in south Wales in another example of dangers posed by swimming in the warm weather.

The alarm was raised with the coastguard on Thursday afternoon following reports of two children in difficulty off Pendine. The coastguard search and rescue helicopter, Dyfed-Powys Police, Welsh Ambulance Service and RNLI lifeboat from Tenby were all called to the scene.

The children were picked up by a passing boat before being handed over to the RNLI lifeboat from Tenby - which winched them by helicopter to take them back to the beach, where they were reunited with their parents.

The children were then transported by road to Glangwili Hospital for further treatment.

The children were picked up by a passing boat before being handed over to the RNLI lifeboat Credit: RNLI

A statement from His Majesty's Coastguard said: "Two youngsters were rescued from the sea at Pendine beach in south Wales today."The children were picked up by a passing boat before being handed over to the RNLI lifeboat from Tenby which took them back to the beach. The Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from St Athan landed on the beach to provide medical support, and Coastguard Rescue Teams were despatched from Tenby and Llansteffan."The youngsters were checked by an ambulance crew and reunited with their parents. Dyfed-Powys Police were also alerted."

The children were rescued off the Welsh coast at Pendine Sands on Thursday afternoon Credit: PA

A statement from Dyfed-Powys Police said: "Officers were called to Pendine beach at around 1.30pm this afternoon to a report that two children were in difficulty in the sea. The children, who were aged eight and nine, were located by HM Coastguard who took them to safety."

The police urged people who are heading to the beach to check information about tide times, heights and currents.

A statement from Tenby Lifeboats RNLI said: "The volunteer crew were soon on the water and made best speed to the scene, some eight miles north-east of Tenby."On arrival, they discovered that the crew of the range safety vessel ‘Spartan’ had pulled both casualties from the water. As they were being transferred to the lifeboat, a coastguard rescue helicopter arrived overhead and their paramedic was lowered aboard the lifeboat to check the children over."It was decided to winch them into the helicopter and land them on the beach so that a land ambulance could take them to hospital as a precaution."