PEOPLE enjoying the sunny weather on the south Essex coast have been warned to “respect the water” after lifeboats were called out five times over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Crews treated one jet skier for suspected broken ribs after he came off his craft. They were also called out to swimmers in trouble and a stricken dog walker.

The incidents came as thousands of people flocked to beaches in Southend and Canvey to enjoy the hottest days of the year so far.

An RNLI lifeboat was out on an exercise in Vange Creek, near the Wat Tyler Marina, when a canoeist pulled alongside to tell them about an injured jet skier on Friday morning.

The man, thought to be in his 20s, had fallen off in the marina and was stuck on a pontoon.

Brian Wood, spokesman for the RNLI, said an ambulance had already been called but the crew were able to help with treating him.

He said: “The jet skier could have been there for some time if the canoeist hadn’t spotted him. Fortunately, one of the crew was a trained nurse so he was able to comfort him.

“They had to make an improvised stretcher and get him to shore.

“We think he may have had one or two cracked ribs- he was in considerable pain. It wasn’t clear whether he had injured himself hitting the water, it’s possible he was hit by the jet ski.”

Later that day, the same crew attended a broken-down jet ski near Old Leigh. On that occasion there were no injuries and the craft had already been towed to safety by an off-duty RNLI crewman.

The Southend lifeboat was sent out just after 7pm on Friday to a 36ft yacht that was drifting close to the shipping channel off the pier. The crew was able to tow the craft and re-anchor it just west of the pier.

On Sunday morning, the coastguard called on Southend’s search and rescue hovercraft to help a woman and her small dog, who were stranded in waist deep water 100 metres from shore at Shoebury.

They were taken by the hovercraft to Shoebury West Beach.

Later that afternoon, the crew of the Southend lifeboat were flagged down by a swimmer off Adventure Island who had five friends unable to swim ashore from a nearby moored motor boat.

The teenagers were taken off the boat and transported safely to shore. Medical attention was not required in either case.

Mr Wood said information about water safety is available online as part of the RNLI’s “respect the water” campaign.

Visit respectthewater.com for safety advice.