Three children had to be rescued by a lifeboat crew after their dinghy was swept out to sea and one of them ended up in the water.
The children were on dinghies when they got into difficulty in high winds off the coast at Tynemouth.
The Coastguard called the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) and the Cullercoats RNLI, who headed to the scene at 3.30pm on Wednesday.
A member of the public near to St George’s Church had reported that three inflatables appeared to be struggling to make it back to the shore at the north end of Tynemouth Longsands due to strong offshore winds.
Rescue teams were quickly on the scene and found that one of the dinghies had returned to the beach but the other two were still in difficulty.
The lifeboat went out and rescued three children and one adult, bringing them back to the safety of the beach.
Although the group were wearing buoyancy aids, they had no further safety equipment and were unable to row against the wind that was preventing them staying close to the beach.
One of the children had also ended up in the water and was described as "very upset" from the ordeal he had experienced.
A spokesperson for the TVLB said: "The use of inflatables are a regular source of callouts for coastal rescue teams as they are unsuitable for use at the coast due to the ease at which they can be blown out to sea.
"Furthermore, with warm weather predicted over the next few days, we would encourage those visiting North Tyneside to take care when at the seaside and enter the water in areas covered by RNLI Lifeguards at King Edward’s Bay, Tynemouth Longsands, Cullercoats Bay and Whitley Bay.
"Finally, if you do notice someone in difficulty at the coast then please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."
