Three teenage girls had to be rescued after their paddleboard started to drift out to sea when the wind changed.
The three girls were paddling off Hove Lawns in the early evening on Wednesday, 27 May when they got into difficulties.
Another paddleboarder came to try and help them back to shore, but was unable to help them given the conditions.
When Shoreham’s inshore lifeboat arrived, two girls were in the water and one was on the paddleboard. The crew took all three girls into the lifeboat, where they established that they were fit and well, and took them back to join friends on the shore.
Paul Baker, inshore lifeboat helm for the rescue, said: “We were all very happy to have helped the girls get back to shore, as given that they didn’t have any lifejackets or means of communication they could have been in real difficulties.
“Weather conditions can change really quickly at the coast, so we always encourage people to make sure they take the basics with them: a buoyancy aid and a mobile phone in a dry bag.
“And make sure you keep an eye on the weather.”
Andrew Shiner, Shoreham RNLI’s Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: “The warm weather and busy beaches meant a significant increase in calls for our volunteer crews.
“People can get into difficulty very quickly, whether through tides, offshore winds or unexpected changes in conditions.
“We’re incredibly proud of how swiftly and professionally our crews responded throughout the week.”
