LIFEGUARDS on duty on Aberporth beach rushed to the rescue of a teenage girl after she was dragged 50 metres out to sea by a rip tide.

The 13-year-old girl had been dragged out from the beach by the outward flowing current. She was in the water about 50m to the north of the red and yellow-flagged swimming area near the rocky reef.

RNLI lifeguard Aneura Phillips, who was on a water’s edge patrol, alerted fellow lifeguard Alex Hart, who immediately paddled out to the girl on a surf rescue board.

With one to two-foot waves breaking over the girl, Alex was able to bring her onto the surf rescue board and return her into the shallow water to be reunited with her family. Aneura then treated the girl for some minor scrapes and cuts she had sustained from the rocks.

RNLI Lifeguard supervisor Michael Vincent said: "Our lifeguard team were glad to be able to rescue this girl and that there was a good outcome to this incident.

"We would encourage anyone visiting the coast this summer to visit a lifeguarded beach and always swim between the red and yellow flags, which is the area designated as the safest area for swimming by our professional lifeguard team."