four girls were rescued by RNLI lifeguards from a rip current at Whitsand Bay on Wednesday.

The teenagers were swimming off Tregonhawke Beach when the incident happened at 1pm.

Two RNLI lifeguards on patrol in their inshore rescue boat were passing by as the rip developed.

Naomi Bishop and Charlie Gillett were carrying out a midday patrol along the bay when they noticed the teenagers caught in the rip current and plucked them to safety.

Naomi said: 'The rip current developed very quickly and caught the girls out. They were quite shaken when we got them into the rescue boat.

Frightening

'I'm just glad we were on patrol and in the immediate area when things started going wrong for them.

'It can be very frightening to be caught in a rip, but people should not panic. They should remain calm and let the rip take them.

'They should not try to swim against it, but should go with it and keep hold of their board. They should stick their hand in the air and shout for help and if they can, swim sideways until they are out of the rip current and then try to return to the shore.'

Conditions on the beaches in Whitsand Bay had been ideal, with lots of sun and shelter, but there was a one and a half foot surf, choppy seas and it was very windy, she said.