Eight people in the same family were rescued by lifeguards after they were caught in a rip current off Sea Palling.

On Sunday, July 17, lifeguard Tom Owen, who was on watch, spotted a group of people struggling in a rip current.

He immediately alerted fellow lifeguards, Greta Balfour and Becky Cooper, who were patrolling the shoreline.

The pair rushed out to the family on their rescue boards, before helping them to safety on the boards with the help of a rescue tube.

Once ashore, the family underwent medical checks. They were visibly shaken but did not require further medical attention.

Lead lifeguard supervisor Ted Morgan praised the family for visiting a lifeguarded beach.

"The family did the right thing by choosing to visit a lifeguarded beach this weekend," he said.

"By swimming in between the red and yellow flags, our lifeguard team could immediately see them when they were in trouble and were quickly on hand to help.

"Rip currents can appear quickly out of nowhere and drag you out of your depth.

"We advise beachgoers to follow our 'float to live' advice if you find yourself in trouble in the water."

'Float to live guidelines' advise people who find themselves in trouble in the water to: Fight the instinct to thrash around; lean back, extend your arms and legs; if you need to, gently move your arms and legs to float; float until you can control your breathing; only then call for help or swim to safety.

For more information on how to stay safe this summer, please visit: RNLI Beach Safety – Top Five Tips To Stay Safe By The Sea