Burnham’s lifeboat was in action on Saturday to rescue two Australian holidaymakers who were washed out to sea in a toy dinghy after borrowing it from a friend to go on a fishing trip.

The couple, Anthony Collis, 25, and partner Deborah, 30, from Perth, were caught out by the ebbing tide and were seen “frantically” trying to row to shore as the waves carried them into the Bristol Channel.

A passer-by called Coastguard Control in Swansea and a crew from Burnham soon reached the rubber craft and hauled the pair to the jetty.

Mr Collis said of the RNLI: “They were excellent. Top dollar!”

Lifeboat Helmsman Nick Prout said: “They were approximately a mile and a half out to sea when we reached them. It just goes to show that toy inflatable boats are not suitable for coastal waters, and local tidal knowledge is essential when setting out to sea.”