An Ayrshire lifeboat crew has urged beachgoers to leave inflatables at home after two people were rescued during a manic weekend.
Troon RNLI dealt with seven callouts in just 24 hours as beach visitors enjoyed the summer scorcher.
In two separate emergencies, the crew raced out to save casualties who were stuck on inflatable dinghies that had been swept out to sea.
In a weekend that saw tragedies in waters across Scotland, experienced lifeboat operators are urging visitors to the shore to stay safe.
Coxswain Jim Millar told Ayrshire Live: “We have seen this week of the tragic accidents that can happen in water.
“It was a busy weekend for us, with the weather so warm the water can be so appealing but we have to remind people to stay safe.
“One thing we cannot stress enough is for people to leave inflatables at home. They are designed for the pool, not the sea.
“Last week between Thursday and Wednesday the wind changed direction to a north shore wind.
“That means anything with inflatables is only going one way – that is out to sea.
“Inflatable unicorns, rubber dinghies – they are all for swimming pools.
“If you are on one, then very quickly you could be a half-mile to a mile off shore – in the blink of an eye.”
Lifeboat crews had to rescue two people on inflatables, one near Ardrossan and another near Stevenston who was helped by a paddle boarder on Friday, July 23.
The crew was also called to several ‘false alarms’ which saw inflatables adrift – which rescuers fear could delay response times to real emergencies.
At one point the team hauled at least 12 castaway dinghies to prevent further confusion.
Coxswain Millar added: “When we were returning from a call we must have collected at least a dozen more of the inflatables which had drifted offshore.
“We recovered them to save someone else calling it in. From a yacht or smaller boat it could look like someone is in danger.”
Ayrshire lifeboat crews have also encouraged safety measures of 'float to live' following tragic drownings in Loch Lomond and across the central belt.
Troon Lifeboat community safety officer Vince McWhirter said: "After so many tragic incidents throughout the UK over the past week, we would urge the public to think about their own safety while visiting the coast and to follow some simple steps to stay safe: Leave the inflatables at home. They are designed for the swimming pool – not the sea.
"If you find yourself in difficulty in the water remember 'float to live'.
"If you see someone in difficulty at sea or along the coast dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."
More information on water safety can be found on RNLI Respect Water campaign here.
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