A six-year-old boy and his father were saved from drowning in dangerous waters off Exmouth thanks to the beach lifeguards.

Exmouth Beach Rescue Club and the RNLI lifeguards on Sunday teamed up to rescue the Weston- super-Mare holidaymakers after they were spotted in difficulty in the red-flagged area after being caught in strong currents.

The young lad was found by lifeguards lying at the water’s edge, while his father was struggling nearby in the shallows.

Exmouth Beach Rescue Club was called to watch the beach and remaining bathers, and deal with crowd control, while the RNLI lifeguards checked the boy and waded into the water to rescue the child’s father.

RNLI lifeguard Toby Taylor-Bashford, who is also a member of Exmouth Beach Rescue Club, said: “The area where the young boy had entered the water has a steep bank which is likely to crumble under foot so a bather could easily find themselves out of their depth very quickly.

“There are strong currents running through the estuary so the RNLI lifeguards keep this area red flagged and do regular patrols, frequently reminding people not to bath there.

“The young boy was lying at the water’s edge having managed to reach the shore, while his Dad was still struggling in the shallows.

“I checked that the boy was okay, and after he showed signals of being conscious, I entered the water to help the father, who was exhausted, and pulled him up the beach.”

The RNLI said both casualties had swallowed large amounts of seawater.

They were given first aid treatment and oxygen, then kept warm until the ambulance crew arrived.