THIS is the moment two men, minutes away from being “completely submerged”, are rescued after being swept out to sea.
Specialist Marine Unit officers were scrambled to the Thames Estuary in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, on Wednesday morning after two men got into difficulty in the water.
Cops rescued both men, one in his 20s and the other in his 30s, from the sea after a helicopter and a police vessel rushed to respond.
The men had walked out onto the sand banks from the nearby beach before becoming trapped by the fast rising tide, cops said.
Both men were then left stranded in the middle of the sea amid rapidly rising water.
The coastguard and Kent Police rushed to the scene to rescue the pair – reaching them moments before “tragedy” struck.
Dramatic footage of the rescue, captured from a responding police boat, shows a helicopter swooping in on the two struggling men.
Only the men’s heads are visible above the waterline as the police vessel Invicta rushes to rescue them.
Approaching the individuals, a police officer dressed in a red life jacket prepares to drag the men from the water.
As the boat draws near the officer extends a hooked pole towards the struggling beach-goers.
The pair desperately reach out for the pole as they struggle to keep their heads above water.
The helicopter remains overhead throughout the operation, watching on as specialist officers save the men from the water.
The police vessel Invicta was the closest available vessel and was guided to the precise location by the coastguard.
Officers estimated the two men were only around 10 minutes away from being completely submerged when help arrived.
They were pulled from the water and sailed to Southend Pier where a coastguard paramedic and ambulance were waiting.
Chief Inspector Alan Rogers of Kent Police’s Tactical Operations department was traveling with the Search and Marine Unit when the rescue operation took place.
He said: “Kent’s geographical position as a coastal county that is also home to several major rivers makes it even more important for the force to have a Search and Marine Unit.
“Our officers are highly skilled professionals who carry out vital work every day – protecting the public, supporting those in distress and ensuring criminals cannot exploit our waterways.
“It was a privilege to see the team in action during the rescue, and I am very pleased that our officers were able to assist these men when they needed help the most.”
