A TEN-year-old boy who became separated from his parents on Minehead beach sparked a two-hour operation involving volunteer lifeboat crews, coastguards and police on Tuesday afternoon.

He was reported missing after last being seen heading off with a body board towards the incoming tide.

Minehead’s D-class RNLI lifeboat was launched within six minutes of the alarm being raised and began a search of the bay, while other crew members joined coastguards in scouring the beach.

The boy was finally located by police on the seafront some 300 yards away from where he had left his parents.

In the meantime, two other children who were also reported missing during the afternoon were quickly found, one by a member of the Minehead RNLI team.

Minehead RNLI spokesman Chris Rundle appealed to all parents using the beach to keep their children under surveillance at all times.

“When the beach is busy it’s very easy to lose track of them even after a minute or two’s inattention,” he said.

“What adds to the distress of parents who do lose contact is the fact that the tide comes in so quickly here.

“When they see the sea suddenly covering the area of sand where their child was playing only minutes earlier it inevitably makes them fear for the worst.”