Boys cut off by the sea rescued in major operation (From The Argus)

Boys cut off by the sea rescued in major operation

8:33am Saturday 5th May 2012 in News

TWO young boys hugged each other for warmth after getting trapped 30m out to sea on a rock at high tide.

The youngsters were playing on a beach when the tide came in and they were stuck out at sea.

One of the boys fell into the sea but managed to clamber out. However, he was freezing and the emergency services realised the two lads were on a rock which would be covered in water shortly.

The boys, who have not been named, called 999 because they realised they had nowhere to go.

A major rescue mission, which involved the Dover Coastguard and East Sussex firefighters, was launched.

However, when a boat finally arrived one of the trapped boys did not want to get on it because he had a phobia of them.

The boys talked to Chris McDonnell in the firefighters’ control centre following the incident near Bexhill on Wednesday.

Mr McDonnell talked to the children and calmed them down while trying to pinpoint their location.

An East Sussex Fire and Rescue statement said: “The fire engine from Bexhill arrived in the area with the blue lights on.

“The children could see the blue lights in the distance and Chris began the task of ascertaining from the children the direction in which the fire appliance needed to travel in order to reach them.

“He advised them to hug each other and try to keep warm and asked the children to look out to sea towards the left and tell him when they could see a boat.

“The children told Chris that a boat was coming. He continued to reassure them and keep them calm.”