TWO girls were rescued by Minehead RNLI after their swan was swept into the sea.

The girls' father was holding a line tethered to the inflatable in shallow water with his two girls, who were both aged 5, sitting on top.

But the line slipped through his hands and the wind quickly swept the giant swan away from his grasp by an offshore wind.

Minehead RNLI launched their Atlantic 85 and D class boats were launched at around 3.30pm on Saturday (June 1) to rescue the girls.

Volunteer lifeboat helm Phil Sanderson said before he had time to react the wind had pushed the inflatable several yards away.

He said: "He (the girls father) waded into the water and tried to swim out to them but the thing was just moving too quickly and he couldn’t get near it.

“He did exactly the right thing: he shouted to the girls to stay on the inflatable and then the family dialled 999.”

The lifeboats were on scene within a few minutes and were joined by a coastguard helicopter which had been on exercise in the area.

Phil said by the time the lifeboats arrived the inflatable was almost half a mile offshore - and still moving rapidly seawards.

He said: “Clearly the girls were very frightened by then but we soon had them aboard and reunited with their family."

Station officials are now trying to ascertain why no red warning flags were being flown on Minehead sea front advising people not to swim or use inflatables - as they are supposed to whenever there is an offshore wind.

Minehead RNLI chairman Bryan Stoner said: “The system was put in place some years ago after a lot of pressure from us because we were dealing with a real spate of incidents like this, one of which involved a fatality.

“On this occasion, however, it appears the system has failed, though through good fortune no-one has come to any harm.”