Two teenagers were rescued in dramatic operations by lifeboat crews.

A 14-year-old had to be saved near the entrance to Whitstable Harbour while a 15-year-old paddle boarder got into difficulty in Herne Bay.

Both incidents happened yesterday afternoon as strong winds battered the coast.

In the first rescue operation, a 14-year-old boy had swum out to a large mooring structure at the end of the west quay, known as the Dolphin, in Whitstable.

The strong winds meant he could not swim back, and a young relative raised the alarm with the nearby lifeboat station.

Lewisco, Whitstable RNLI’s lifeboat, was launched shortly after 2pm and the crew found the youngster clinging to the side of the Dolphin.

Despite a few cuts and grazes, he did not require medical treatment and was landed ashore by the crew.

Whitstable lifeboat operations manager Mike Judge said of the incidents: “This highlights the well-known dangers of swimming near the harbour pierheads and being deceived by the strength of the tide and sea conditions.

“Although the boy managed to swim out to the structure, he was clearly unable to swim back in the same conditions and initially friends on the quay thought he was skylarking and did not immediately realise he was in danger.”

Lewisco launched again later in the afternoon at about 3.30pm following a report from Dover Coastguard of another male teenager with a paddleboard on the rocks which form the outer arm of Herne Bay harbour.

The lifeboat crew were told there was a risk of other swimmers entering the water in an attempt to help.

When the team arrived, trying to extricate the casualty up the rocks was deemed too dangerous.

The 15-year-old was brought onboard the lifeboat and landed ashore.