Two beachgoers adrift in the sea at Kynance Cove owe their safety to a 13-year-old boy who singlehandedly rescued them on his surfboard.

The pair were part of a group of eight visitors who had been caught out by the tide at Gull Rock just before 2.30pm on Saturday.

Four of them managed to make it to the foot of the cliff on their own, but the remainder were struggling.

Seeing the drama unfold, teenager Rudy Donovan, whose family run the Kynance Cove Beach Cafe, grabbed his surfboard and raced into the sea. He was able to help two of them by paddling out and then bringing them back to the safety of the beach.

The final two people were picked up from the water by the Lizard Lifeboat in their inflatable boat and taken back to the station at Kilcobben Cove.

Lizard Lifeboat operations manager Ned Nuzum said: "From the first initial page for our crew, the lifeboat was on scene at Kynance Cove within 22 minutes. Much appreciation has been expressed to the crew and shore crew whose prompt response when first alerted by their pagers thankfully resulted in an excellent outcome."

A lifeboat spokesperson added that the incident highlighted the importance of checking the tides and being extra vigilant while visiting the beach and when near the coast.