HEROIC seaside workers rescued a group of people after they got into difficulty out at sea before a huge operation was launched to find a missing man.
Clacton Pier employees, some of whom are only teenagers, have been praised after their quick-thinking potentially saved the lives of four beachgoers.
Shortly after 11am today, the staff members leapt into action after hearing distressing calls for help coming from the east side of the historic attraction.
They soon realised at least four people, believed to be in their late teens or early twenties, were being pushed by the sea towards the rip currents underneath the pier.
Without hesitation, the workers launched life rings attached to ropes into the water before the casualties managed to grab hold of the floats.
Within minutes Tendring Council’s Beach Patrol team arrived on a jet ski and collected one of group before two Clacton lifeboat teams picked-up the others.
A fifth person is also understood to have been pulled from the water.
Nigel Brown, communications manager at Clacton Pier, said: “Our guys up on the pier were holding onto these ropes and I looked over the side and there were people hanging on.
“They did a pretty fantastic job because it is not something they are particularly trained for but they rushed to help whoever they could.
READ MORE: Clacton lifeboat crews deployed after person is reported missing
"Two members of the staff also got into the water along with a member of the Beach Patrol and they were doing their best to point the lifeboats to the casualties.
“Luckily it was just around the time we started opening up the rides or there may have been nobody there.
“One or two of the team are a bit shaken-up so we will now be offering them any support they need.”
According to Nigel, those that found themselves stranded in the sea had been positioned in the water close to the beach before venturing slightly further out.
The group, who apparently were all fully-clothed, then became caught-up in a powerful tide and current which swept them in the direction of the pier.
Following the rescue, one of the casualties was reported missing, prompting an urgent search operation.
Nigel added: “There were some guys in the water shouting about there still being one more person in the sea.
“That is when ambulances, police officers, firefighters and the coastguard arrived, as well as the air and sea search helicopter, and the beaches were cleared.
“It has been a fairly major operation.”
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