A HAMPSHIRE mother and her two daughters were involved in a dramatic beach rescue after getting swept out to sea in inflatable dinghies off the Isle of Wight.

The family got into trouble on Monday evening while paddling in the dinghies off Ryde beach.

The drama began after beach lifeguards Luke Mills and Jason Roberts were asked by Ryde Inshore Rescue members to investigate reports a small yacht had apparently run aground 500 metres offshore with two dinghies also in the vicinity.

"They were getting dragged out further on the tide and it was important we got to them as quickly as we could,'' said Luke, of Newport.

In one of the dinghies was a mother and a daughter of about 12 and in the other another daughter slightly older in age.

Jason then jumped in and made his way out to the dinghies but had to swim out so far his colleague began to get concerned.

"I had lost sight of him and so asked the Ryde Rescue to take me out on their vehicle," Luke said.

"I was dropped at the shore and started to paddle out on a paddle board.

"By the time I reached them, Jason had climbed into the boat with the single girl and begun paddling back to shore.

"I attached the other dinghy to my paddle board and towed them back to shore myself.'' Once safely back the family were suffering from the effects of cold and were wrapped in reflective blankets to raise their temperature.

The family, from Liss, who had been staying in Ryde, were advised to seek further medical attention before they left the rescue HQ.

Isle of Wight Council Cabinet member for environment and transport, Cllr Tim Hunter-Henderson, said: "Our lifeguards deserve great credit for their swift and professional actions.

"This incident shows how important it is to have well-equipped lifeguards at our busiest beaches.''