Lifeboat crews have spent a busy bank holiday saving lives at sea with four call outs in one day.

Crews faced a flurry of calls as they looked to keep beach goers and sea users safe as they flocked to the coast for the good weather.

Multiple call-outs including searching for windsurfers who were struggling to get back to shore as well as towing another vessel to shore and reports of a dog in the water.

Nick White, lifeboat operations manager at the RNLI Lifeboat station in Littlehampton, said: “Beautiful weather and a brisk offshore breeze led to a busy day for our volunteer crew. It’s easier than you think to get into trouble in the water, so we would always urge people – whatever their planned activity – to be aware of the dangers.

“Our top safety tips are to know your limits and don’t take risks; go with others and look out for each other; and make sure your phone is charged so you can call for help if you come across anyone who needs it.”

At around 2.30pm, the crew were first sent to near Littlehampton Harbour after reports of three windsurfers struggling to get back to shore. While the crew searched the area, the windsurfers were eventually found safe and well on the shore.

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Shortly after returning to base crews were again called to near Ferring, where a dog had reportedly entered the water and several people had followed to help. However, the crew were stood down before reaching the scene.

Crews were later called to near Worthing, where a board user was having trouble and had attached themselves to a buoy, however no-one was found at the site despite a detailed search of the area.

An RNLI spokeswoman confirmed that this was a separate incident to another emergency incident where a 70-year-old paddleboarder died.

After returning to base, the crew then returned to sea in order to help another boat in distress near Littlehampton Harbour. The boat was eventually towed to safety where the RNLI crew finished their endeavours seven hours after their initial callout.