This is Cornwall --A MOTHER hugs her daughter in emotional scenes after the youngster was rescued from deadly rip currents near Newquay.
The girl was one of four children who were dragged out to sea, along with their father, at Mawgan Porth at around 7pm on Monday.
All were rescued, aided by coastguards and RNLI lifeboat crews, before being reunited on the shore. The major rescue operation has prompted the emergency services to issue fresh calls for beachgoers to beware of rip currents and stay out of the sea once the lifeguards have left.
Allan Loveday, watch officer at Falmouth coastguard, said: "These conditions were extreme and this incident could easily have ended in tragedy."
Newquay cliff rescue teams had arrived at the scene just after 7pm to hear "screaming" from the shoreline.
It was the sound of a "distressed" 16-year-old girl who had been separated from her sister and father and who was stranded alone on a rock in the middle of the sea.
Dave Bulley, of Newquay Cliff Rescue Team (CRT), said: "The CRT arrived within eight minutes and were confronted by two very distressed family members who had already escaped the water. Three more remained in the water, the father and two children. We could hear screaming at the water's edge." In a desperate attempt to save her family, their mother managed to rescue her nine-year-old daughter from the ferocious sea, while a local surfer darted into the pounding waves to rescue the family's 14-year-old son.
A major rescue operation was launched following numerous 999 calls and Newquay CRT launched its water rescue team from the beach.
The rescue swimmer managed to find the 16-year-old girl trapped on a rock 70 metres off the shoreline before wading back through the rough sea to bring her back to the beach.
Newquay's inshore lifeboat managed to locate the father and his 11-year-old daughter who were stranded on another rock farther out to sea near Grange Point. The crews brought the pair back to the safety of the beach. Both Newquay lifeboats were launched to the incident and the rescue 193 helicopter from RNAS Culdrose also assisted in the rescue.
Mr Bulley urged beachgoers to read and follow signs on the beach and use lifeguarded beaches.
All five family members were assessed by paramedics from South West Ambulance (SWAST) on the beach and although cold and shaken by their ordeal, none required medical treatment. They were later discharged by the paramedics before they returned to their holiday campsite. Reported by This is 12 hours ago.
