The crew of the inshore lifeboat “Solihull” rescued the person – as well as a second man who had swum out to sea to try and help.
The incident happened at around 3.27pm on Saturday, 27 June.
Both men were taken to Seaton Carew beach and handed over to the Hartlepool Coastguard team.
Hartlepool lifeboat Operations Manager Steve Pounder said: ‘A prompt response from the crew brought the incident to a successful outcome. An offshore wind can quickly blow inflatables out to sea. Please tether inflatable toys to prevent this situation or just don’t bring them to the beach. In this situation, it’s best to ring 999 and ask for the Coastguard and to keep the casualty in sight.”
Hartlepool RNLI inshore lifeboat helm Mark Barker added: ‘A quick launch from the Ferry Road boathouse meant we were on scene to recover the casualties who were both none the worse for their experience. We safely handed them over to the Coastguard team on the beach at Seaton Carew.”
The volunteer crew members also assisted a personal watercraft and its owner, again from Seaton Carew beach, after it suffered mechanical failure at a slipway near Hartlepool Marina.
