Three RNLI lifeguards have been hailed heroes after a dramatic rescue off a popular beach.

The trio - Adam Pitman, Jon Johnston and Coral Lewis - were patrolling Tenby's South Beach when they rescued a group of 40 people after the sandbank they were walking on collapsed on Saturday afternoon.

The group of 36 children and four adults were on a narrow sandbank called 'The White Back' when the tides changed, causing the entire group to immediately become out of their depth at around 4 pm.

At the time of the incident, the group was making its way back to the shore after receiving a warning from one of the lifeguards.

Two of the charity's lifeguards Adam Pitman, 27, and Jon Johnston, 21, entered the water with rescue boards and tubes, and brought the individuals safely to shore.

Lifeguard, Coral Lewis, 17, who was also on patrol at the time, radioed the coastguard.

The RNLI lifeguards performed first aid on two casualties, one with a hyperthermic asthma attack and the other with hyperthermic secondary drowning.

The RNLI said afterwards that six of the group's lives would have been lost had the lifeguards not intervened.

As well as the RNLI lifeguards and coastguard, the air ambulance paramedics and two land ambulance teams were also at the scene.

Dave Miller, coastguard sector manager in South Pembrokeshire, commented: "The three RNLI lifeguards did a superb job. If not for their fast response times and the methods they used at the scene, lives would have been lost."

Adam Pitman, senior RNLI lifeguard, added: "This rescue has attracted a lot of attention because of the number of people involved. Although it's fantastic to raise awareness about beach safety and our charity, all three of us feel we were just doing the job we have trained hard to do.

"All of the beaches in Tenby are great for family days out and attract many visitors every year. Having said this, people need to be vigilant and ask the lifeguards for advice.

"We are pleased this rescue had a positive result, but we recommend anyone to swim at a lifeguarded beach between the red and yellow flags."

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