Terrifying moment young girl is swept into sea while playing with friends in dramatic footage
An urgent warning has been issued after dramatic footage revealed a teenage girl being swept into the sea while playing with her friends.
A video clip captured the moment the youngster splashed on the pier in Ilfracombe, Devon, as the waves smashed against a ramp she and three friends were standing on.
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Scenes on the coast quickly turned shocking around 7pm on Thursday when the tide threw the girl to her feet and hurled her down the side of a wall.
As she tried to hold on to the metal barriers, her friends watched in panic as she was dragged away from the sea.
Quick-thinking citizens, enjoying the view from the end of the pier, rushed to get a lifebuoy.
Another managed to grab the petrified child before it drifted further out.
Ilfracombe RNLI responded to the incident before caring for two children.
The group was then taken home.
Harbor masters are now urging Britons to stop engaging in “high-risk activities” that could “put their lives at risk”.
Ilfracombe boss Georgina Carlo-Paat said: “This incident is a serious reminder of the dangers of gravestones and other high-risk activities in the port.”
“Not only were the youth lucky enough not to be more seriously injured, they also put their lives and the lives of quick-thinking bystanders at risk who acted when they got into trouble.”
“Sea conditions were very unsettled and all the youths had been knocked off their feet on the slipway prior to the incident but continued to be caught in the crashing waves.
“Fortunately the RNLI was on practice in the outer harbor at the time and was able to react very quickly and tend to their injuries before escorting them all home.”
Conditions on the north Devon coast were treacherous last week, with waves even causing damage to cars parked on the beach.
Accordingly DevonLiveSeveral vehicles suffered, with one van having side dents and a missing bumper, while another vehicle had its windshield smashed due to the huge waves.
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