LIFESAVERS in Southend had a busy day helping summer revellers who found themselves in difficulty yesterday.

Emergency services launched a search for a 10-year-old boy just after 3pm who had gone missing from the beach in Southend.

Southend RNLI launched both their inshore hovercraft and lifeboat and were joined by Southend Coastguard to search for the boy in the waters, while Essex Police searched on foot and in the air with its helicopter also being launched.

The boy was found safe and well by his parents.

At the same time lifesavers in the RNLI’s hovercraft also saw two swimmers in difficulty to the east of Southend Pier. They went to help them make it to Southend Pier safe and well.

An hour earlier, at 2.05pm, the RNLI saw a woman stuck in the mud at the Half Way House slipway. The lifeboat volunteers set off in their inshore hovercraft to help her and take her to shore where she was met by the Southend Coastguard team.