A teenager rescued from the sea off the coast of Aberdaron on Saturday has been praised by the RNLI.

The teenage paddleboarder, who has not been named, realised he was being swept out to sea and was able to speak to police on the mobile phone he was carrying in a waterproof bag.

The youngster was also wearing a lifejacket.

You can watch video of the rescue, provided by the RNLI, here.

Commending him for his actions, Abersoch RNLI helm Fritz Williams said: “This call-out shows just how crucial a lifejacket is and having a means of calling for help.

“A lifejacket can buy you valuable time in a time-critical situation whilst you wait for help to arrive. Staying with your vessel/flotation device can help you to keep warm out of the water and also make you easier to find.”

The volunteer crew at Abersoch RNLI were called at 3.45pm. The lifeboat launched and arrived on the scene within 20 minutes.

Aberdaron Coastguard assisted from the cliff-tops to see if the teenager could be spotted however, due to a significant swell, an outgoing tide and offshore wind, visibility was extremely difficult.

The casualty was carrying his mobile phone in a waterproof pouch and talking to police in an attempt to describe his exact location which was somewhere between Ynys Gwylan and Aberdaron headland.

The Coastguard helicopter was tasked to assist with the search. Approximately 20 minutes later the casualty was located in the water with the assistance of the Coastguard team on the headland.

The RNLI team recovered the casualty from the water into the lifeboat.

The casualty, who was wearing his lifejacket, was extremely cold and confused and appeared to have swallowed a significant amount of water. He was was showing signs of hypothermia.

His condition was assessed as serious and he was given immediate first aid by the crew before being airlifted from the lifeboat to the waiting coastguard helicopter who took him to Ysbyty Gwynedd.

The rescue could have been very different were it not for the boy’s preparation in wearing a lifejacket and having a means to call for help.

Once the casualty was safely in the helicopter the crew returned to the lifeboat station where both the crew kit and lifeboat were thoroughly cleaned in accordance with current guidelines and left ready for service.

The following day, following his release from the hospital, the boy and his father attended the lifeboat station to collect his belongings and express their gratitude to all of the volunteer crew.