Sea search for missing boy, four (From Croydon Guardian)

Sea search for missing boy, four

3:11am Monday 20th August 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

An air and sea search for a four-year-old boy who went missing on one of the hottest days of the year is continuing.

Two lifeboats and two coastguard rescue teams are looking for the boy who disappeared at Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.

A police and RAF helicopter were also involved in the search and rescue operation on Sunday night. Further teams were helping with the search at first light.

The boy's parents frantically tried to rescue him after he entered the water on the south side of a slipway on Sunday evening, but were unable to reach their son.

A member of the public witnessed their desperate attempts and called the emergency services.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said a search involving a helicopter, coastguard rescue teams and two lifeboats began after the alarm was raised.

"The parents of the child have been treated on scene after they went in after the boy and required medical treatment for water ingestion," a spokeswoman said.

"A member of the public dialled 999 at 6.04pm to inform Swansea Coastguard that they had seen two adults go in the water to attempt to rescue a small child and that they needed medical assistance."