Heroic rescuers who saved a child who drifted out to sea on a lilo were stunned to be sent a bill by the parents - for the cost of a £7 inflatable lilo.
Mike Carter, president of the RNLI branch, said a rescue helicopter had to be used to save the youngster when she got into a precarious situation.
A crew member then jumped into the water to save the girl, but left her inflatable lilo in the water off Porthleven, in Cornwall.
The commanding officer said the rescue cost around £7,000, and so he was left stunned to be presented with a bill for £7 from the parents of the girl they had saved - for the cost of the lilo.
Mike said: "A family visiting Porthleven purchased a lilo from a local shop and went to the beach.
"There was an off-shore wind and the parents immediately experienced their child waving goodbye as the lilo went further and further out.
"The coastguard scrambled the SAR helicopter which was soon on scene.
"The diver jumped from the the helicopter and saved the child. He instantly put a knife through the lilo to save any further drifting and they were both winched to safety."
After receiving the invoice, Mike said the rescuer replied saying they would happily pay - if the family paid for the cost of launching the helicopter.
He said: "Two weeks later the commanding officer (CO) of 771 received a request to pay an invoice for £7 the cost of the lilo.
"The CO wrote replying: 'I will be happy to pay your invoice on receipt of payment for the helicopter rescue £7,000.' No response was received."
Mike said inflatables in the sea pose a constant threat, and only last week the Maritime and Coastguard Agency posted a similar warning.
They said: "Inflatable unicorns, watermelons, dinosaurs, you name it, we’ve seen it.
"Keep your floating friends for the pool. They may pose well for Insta, but they can also pose a danger when up against strong currents and wind, sweeping you out to sea.
"Remember, supervise kids and call #999Coastguard if you spot an inflatable drifting at sea or yours gets blown away."
RNLI crews are often kept busy around the Bristol Channel, with people caught out by fast and high tides in Weston-super-Mare and Brean.
Just a few weeks ago, lifeboat crews were called out five times in 48 hours. In June, one family were found covered 'head to toe' in mud after venturing out onto dangerous mudflats.
Birnbeck Pier is also the source of many call outs for crews in North Somerset, as people get caught out by the rising sea after venturing out to Birnbeck Island at low tide.
RNLI helmsman Liam McDermott said previously: “The Island of Birnbeck is a magnet for those who wish to take their chances with the vicious and dramatic tides of the Bristol Channel.
“Too often those who are foolhardy enough to cross to the island at low water find the tide comes in with great speed and cuts them off.
“Many times the ferocious tides have put lives in danger. Indeed last year two who got cut off and were clinging to the Pier Legs had only minutes to live before the lifeboat saved them.”
People are urged to check the tide times and weather conditions and if they spot anyone in trouble along the coastline to call 999 and ask for the coastguard.
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