LIFEGUARDS who rescued two young girls at Whitsand Bay have issued a safety warning.

The youngsters, aged 11 and 12, had been swimming in the sea off Sharrow Beach when they were caught in a rip current.

RNLI Lifeguards were carrying out routine patrols in the inshore rescue boat (IRB) at around 2pm on Sunday when they came to the aid of the children.

Lifeguard supervisor Beau Gillet said: ‘When we reached the girls they were close to drowning, with one trying to keep the other above the water.

‘We were able to pull the girls out of the sea and brought them back to the shore in the IRB where they were assessed, reassured and treated with oxygen.

‘We view this as two lives saved. The girls were taken by ambulance to Derriford Hospital for further checks.’

Sharrow Beach is closed to the public at present, says the RNLI, because the cliff path is unstable.

The charity is urging people to use the lifeguarded beaches along Whitsand Bay, which include Tregonhawke, Freathy and Tregantle.

In the UK, the majority of RNLI lifeguard incidents involve rip currents - strong currents running out to sea which can drag people from the shallows of the shoreline out into deeper water.

Area lifesaving manager James Millidge said: ‘The access to Sharrow is currently closed to the public due to the unstable cliff face.

‘Lifeguards are not providing patrols on the beach because of the unsafe access.’

The best way to avoid rip currentsm says the RNLI, is to choose a lifeguarded beach, and always swim between the red and yellow flags, which have been marked based on where is safer to swim in the current conditions.

The flags also help lifeguards to spot people more easily, should something go wrong.