PEOPLE are being warned of the dangers of using inflatable lilos in the sea after two young men were rescued off Bournemouth Pier.

Coastguards were alerted to the plight of the two 20-year-olds at around 3pm on Tuesday after they drifted half-a-mile out to sea on a lilo.

The pair were spotted by the crew of the safety rib Titan operating around Bournemouth Pier where the sea bed is being dredged.

The men were guided to safety and met by Southbourne coastguards on the shore within 30 minutes, said coastguard officer Alan Norman.

Although it may be warm on the beach the sea is at its coldest at this time of year at approximately 10 degrees Celsius, warned Mr Norman.

At this time of year people are likely to develop hypothermia within 15 minutes and have a 50/50 chance of dying if they are in the water for more than 45 minutes, he added.

He said: "If they had got into trouble and entered the water they would have chilled down very quickly. People can get a false sense of the security if it's nice and warm sitting on the beach.

"They think it must also be lovely and warm in the sea but because the sea heats up and cools down slower than the land it is colder at the moment.

"It is just a matter of people using common sense."