Tombstoning child found clinging to buoy near Berry Head in Devon

A child has been rescued after being found clinging to a buoy off the coast of Devon.

The youngster had been tombstoning near Berry Head when he got into difficulty.

Brixham Coastguard Rescue Team (BCRT) said the boy was part of a group who were tombstoning around Hairy Ledge last night (8 July).

The child ended up getting into difficulty in the very tidal area, after jumping off the ledge.

Brixham Coastguard, Paignton Coastguard Rescue Team, Torbay inshore lifeboat (ILB) and a rescue helicopter from Newquay all rushed to the scene just before 7pm.

A spokesperson for BCRT said: "The boy was retrieved from the water by crews on the Torbay ILB and was taken to shore where he met the coastguard rescue team.

"The ILB stayed on scene to make sure the rest of the children, who were now in the water around Hairy Ledge, swam back to shore safely."

Safety advice was given to the large group of children about the dangers of tombstoning.