TWO children were saved from drowning off Dunster Beach on Thursday (July 24) when local Methodist minister the Rev Chloe Kingdon heroically dived fully clothed into the sea to rescue them.

A rip current dragged Ms Kingdon’s daughter Ellie, aged 10, and a friend’s son, aged 11, away from shore as they were playing waist deep.

Ms Kingdon had noticed the incoming tide ‘did not look normal’ and was trying to call the children back just as they were swept away.

The group, who also included the boy’s 10-year-old sister, had stopped at the beach for ‘a paddle’ on their way home to Watchet and Ms Kingdon had pointed out boats were facing up the Bristol Channel, which indicated the tide was coming in so they would not be able to stay long or go very far into the water.

Ms Kingdon said: “They rushed off to the water’s edge and I followed.

“One of the children had her arm in a cast so could only paddle, but the others were permitted to go to their waist.

“I was watching and noted that the tide was coming in even faster than usual and did not look normal.

“I saw the children jumping the waves.

“One wave, they were waist deep, the next, neck, then the next went back to knees, and the next, they had gone much further out.

“I shouted and waved them in but there was no response.

“They are not children to ignore me, so I began to wonder what was going on.

“A couple of minutes later, they were separated and their heads were tiny dots so I realised they were in trouble.”

Ms Kingdon, who has completed life savings courses because of living near the coast, went into the sea while shouting for help and a young holidaymaker rushed in after her as his partner made a 999 call.

She said: “Initially, I swam hard, but stopped myself to preserve energy.

“Both children knew not to fight the current and had allowed themselves to be taken out and neither panicked or struggled.

“This was perfect as they were not tired and were able to tread water for longer and neither were panicking or exhausted when I got to them.

“I shouted for them to turn over and float, but the waves were too big.

“I got to Ellie and brought her in while watching the man get to her friend.

“However, my fellow rescuer then left the boy and I realised that he was struggling to bring him in and must have had to make a horrible but sensible decision to save himself rather than end up with another casualty.

“Watching this young boy I was looking after get further away as I got closer to the shore with my daughter was horrendous.

“He must have been very frightened when he was left alone watching us all swim away from him.

“The second that Ellie could stand, I told her to keep walking towards shore.

“She was frightened then, as she knew I was going back.

“I am not a particularly strong swimmer and I was fully clothed with my shoes on, but some sub-human strength got me to the boy and we made our way in.

“I panicked a little at one point when I needed to rest and turned on my back only to be bowled over within a wave, but all was well.

“We got back to shore and thanked the man.

“He said that the boy was pulling him down and he could not save him.

“He gave us both a hug and the boy said a heartfelt thank you to him for his efforts.

“Not everybody would even try and we are very grateful.”

Minehead’s two lifeboat crews and Watchet Coastguards were mobilised but were delayed reaching the scene because the holidaymaker had given the wrong location.

A lifeboat spokesman said: “We landed the D-class and casualty care was provided to the casualties.

“Coastguards took the lead land-side, and they were handed over to paramedics.”

Ms Kingdon and the children were then taken to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, for the rescued youngsters to be checked for ‘secondary drowning’, which is a delayed reaction to water being inhaled into the lungs.

They were released from hospital late the same night.

Ms Kingdon said she was speaking in detail about the incident to highlight that even when people think they are being responsible and respectful of the sea, ‘in a flash, things can go wrong’.

She said: “The number of people I speak to who misunderstand that it is the tide coming in which is more dangerous than when it is going out, because the water is getting deeper.

“There is a real need for awareness for everybody who uses the beach.

“I think we are about as aware as you can get, and the fact the children knew to let themselves be taken out was vital, because they did not panic.”

She also highlighted that the misinformation given to the emergency services could have cost lives.

Ms Kingdon said: “If I had not been able to get to the children, by the time the lifeboat got here it would have been too late.

“There is no doubt about that whatsoever.

“It is not the fault of the lifeboat, they scrambled in their usual record time, but just to the wrong place.

“What3Words should be mandatory for all 999 phone calls in my opinion.”