These exclusive photos show the two teenagers who sparked a Coastguard rescue near Burnham-On-Sea last week.
The images were taken on a waterproof camera by the pair and show them floating about in their £4.99 inflatable dinghies just moments before they got swept out into the Bristol Channel, apparently oblivious to the danger they were in.
Coastguards from Burnham-On-Sea and Weston were called out to search for the pair, Sammy Allison (17) and Tom Carlisyle (16), last Thursday after they dialled 999 on a mobile phone to alert the emergency services after scrambling ashore on nearby Brean Down.
The pair were visiting Weston on a half-term holiday trip. They set sail from close to Weston pier at 1pm after buying their dinghies from a tourist shop in the resort.
But they quickly got into difficulty when the tide swept them out from the shore, across Weston Bay, to Brean Down.
Sammy told Burnham-On-Sea.com last week: “We were floating about in the shallow water besides the pier when we got swept out into the channel.”
“Fortunately, I was able to direct us towards Brean Down using the dinghy’s paddles.”
A search was launched for the pair by two teams of Coastguards, who found them seven a half hours after they initially left Weston beach.
Coastguards have issued a warning about the use of inflatable boats following the incident, saying they should not be used in deep water, fast flowing-estuaries, or far from the shore.
