A HERO Largs lifeboat crew member saved the life of a young boy after he was swept out to sea on an inflatable.

Andrew Malone jumped into the sea and swam out to rescue the youngster who was in danger of drifting towards the channel.

Currents and a stiff breeze saw the boy dragged around quarter of a mile out to sea during the frightening incident last Thursday at 2.10pm.

The alarm was raised by a concerned member of the public who spotted the youngster in distress.

Andrew, 27, immediately took to the water and swam out to the primary school pupil whilst fellow crew members tended to the safety line in front of the RNLI station.

As the boy was brought closer to the slipway, a second volunteer crew member entered the water to assist in bringing the pair to the safety of the shore.

The boy was shaken but otherwise safe and well.

Andrew said: 'The boy was on an inflatable LiLo and thankfully hadn't fallen into the water.

"I got a hold of the inflatable and pulled it back to the slipway where my colleague Steve Kemp scooped the boy off and back to his dad, who had watched the incident unfold from the slip."

Steve, 46, said: "The boy was quite young - maybe five or six - Andrew did very well swimming out and it is not the easiest thing to do in the full RNLI Lifeboat kit.

"Andrew got a hold of the lilo and swam back pulling it back too; I was around waist deep and managed to pick up the boy and get a good arm around him so he didn't go into the water at all. He had been perched on top of the inflatable and looked quite panicked.

"It was great having a trained paramedic in Neilson Grant there who was able to check the boy over and make sure he was ok.

"It had been a steady breeze and in my experience these inflatables as they rest on top of the water can be pushed out quite quickly in such circumstances."

Lifeboat Operations Manager John Griffiths praised the crew for their quick actions and took the opportunity to remind beachgoers as to the danger of inflatables.

He said: 'The quick thinking and bravery of the volunteer crew averted a serious situation. Andrew was able to reach the boy before he came off the inflatable and the team were able to ensure both he and his father were fine.

John added: "When there is any sort of wind, inflatables can be swept offshore in no time. We would advise against their use at the coast."

A spokesman for Ardrossan Coastguard said; "We continue to urge the public to think about their own personal safety and to follow some simple steps to stay safe if visiting the coast.

"Leave the inflatable toys and boats at home. They are designed for the swimming pool – not the sea."