A mobile phone saved four youngsters from drowning off Southend yesterday.

The group, aged from ten to 13, were waist high in water when they were hauled to safety by the lifeboat crew.

The group, from Southchurch, had walked out from the beach to the Mulberry Harbour off the Southend coast, when the tide started to come in.

Luckily, one of the young people had a mobile telephone and alerted the coastguard to the danger.

The lifeboat was launched at midday and found them 150 yards off the harbour. They were returned to West Beach where an ambulance was waiting for them. Two of the youngsters were treated for cold.

Peter Blythe, RNLI spokesman, said: "The youngsters said they had noted high tide was at 4pm and thought they had plenty of time to get out and back.

"However, walking out to sea is a very dangerous practise. Whilst it is very tempting in hot weather it is extremely hazardous and this is an example of what can happen away from the beach.

"Channels fill up very quickly and at several hours before high tide on the beach, completely cutting you off.

"If, in this case, a mobile phone was not available they could have been drowned."

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