who were swept half a mile out to sea on an inflatable swan at Minehead last Saturday afternoon has sparked questions about why no red warning flags were flying at the time.

Three flagpoles are provided along the beach for danger flags, plus seven warning notices, but a Somerset West and Taunton council spokesman said this week that Saturday’s wind was not strong enough to justify flags being flown.

The girls were sitting on the plastic toy in the shallows at Minehead beach when a strong gust of offshore wind blew them out to sea and a safety line held by the father of one of the youngsters was torn from from his hands.

The girls, said by their mother to be “absolutely terrified”,were rescued unharmed by Minehead’s two lifeboats.

Minehead RNLI chairman Dr Bryan Stoner said flags should fly on the seafront whenever there was a strong offshore wind, and large red notices warned against swimming or using inflatables when flags were hoisted.

“On this occasion, even though the wind was strong enough to carry an inflatable out to sea, it appears the system has failed, though through good fortune no one has come to any harm,” Dr Stoner said.

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