Two men rescued by Southend lifeboat

9:38am Monday 12th May 2008

Comments (2)   Have your say »

A SOUTHEND lifeboat was scrambled on Sunday when two men in their 20s were spotted chest deep in water and about a mile offshore.

The alarm was raised around 1pm when lifeboat crew members spotted the pair apparently heading for the lifeboat station on the pier head.

Spokesman Den Freeman said: "The crews were actually having a very late breakfast when they saw them in the water, near the pier station, so they launched a boat and picked them up.

"They were at least a mile from the shore, the tide was coming in very fast and there is no way they would have got back."

He added: "They didn't say much, I think they were too embarrassed, they didn't need medical attention so we let them just walk back down the pier."

Mr Freeman suspected they planned to walk to the pier head and then scramble out of the water and onto the pier for "an easy walk back".

He also warned all visitors to Southend's Beaches to check the tides before venturing so far out to sea.