A spate of rescues involving people drifting out to sea on inflatable dinghies over the weekend has prompted a warning from coastguards.On Saturday afternoon alone there were eight incidents between Cromer and the Lincolnshire coast as winds blew people away from the shoreline.
Southwold lifeboat crew members played the parts of struggling victims, plucked from the sea in a fundraising lifesaving display yesterday.
Crowds lined the clifftop to watch the rescue demonstration by the Atlantic 75 relief lifeboat, the RNLB Spirit of Lowestoft and the Harwich lifeboat during Lifeboat Week.
Organsiers for the RNLI's Southwold and Dunwich fundraising branch said they hoped to raise £7,000 from last week's series of events, which included a sandcastle contest and a balloon race.
Meanwhile, a spate of rescues involving people drifting out to sea on inflatable dinghies over the weekend has prompted a warning from coastguards.
On Saturday afternoon alone there were eight incidents between Cromer and the Lincolnshire coast as winds blew people away from the shoreline.
They included two people drifting out to sea 200m off East Runton who were rescued by the Cromer inshore lifeboat after lifeguards raised the alarm.
On Sunday, there were a further three call-outs at Winterton, Hemsby and Hopton.
Coastguards at Yarmouth advised people not to use inflatables, which were designed for pools, on the sea, but said if they did, the dinghies should be tethered to the shore.
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