Five paddleboarders have been rescued after getting into difficulties off Sheppey.

Two adults and three children were helped to safety by an RNLI lifeboat near Queenborough Harbour yesterday afternoon.

The paddleboarders were reported to be holding on to moorings close to the Coal Washer Wharf.

They had been pulled onto a private vessel when inshore lifeboat Buster arrived shortly before 2.30pm.

The two children involved were found to be “cold and very frightened by their ordeal”.

They were taken back to Queenborough and the lifeboat crew returned to the station at 2.50pm.

The RNLI says it has seen a rise in people heading out on paddleboards during the last five years.

In 2022, lifeguards and lifeboat crews responded to 1,465 incidents - more than double compared with 2021.

They say lifeboat volunteers have helped rescue 77 stand-up paddleboarders during this time, with 32 lives saved last year alone.

A spokesman for the RNLI said: “We’ve seen a huge rise in incidents to paddleboarders over the last few years, and a significant number are to people who have been blown or swept out to sea.

“If you find yourself in difficulty at the coast, please call 999 and ask for the coastguard.”

The organisation has teamed up with 12 expert training agencies and National Governing Bodies across the UK and Ireland to develop and promote four key safety messages for paddleboarders.

Those heading out on the water are encouraged to wear a buoyancy aid, carry a phone in a waterproof pouch, wear the correct leash and to avoid offshore winds.