THREE teenage boys blown out to sea have been blown back in by the power of a rescue helicopter's rotor blades.
The youngsters, all aged 16, were swept about half a mile out to sea in an inflatable dinghy off the coast of Dinas Dinlle, near Caernarfon, on Saturday afternoon.
Holyhead Coast Guard was alerted at 5.18pm and an RAF Valley search and rescue helicopter was scrambled.
The helicopter used a “rotor wash” to guide the boys, all from Caernarfon, back to shore.
Squadron Leader Spike Wright said: "They were not making great headway so we decided to assist them in that manner."
The airflow created by the helicopter's rotor blades allowed the boys to row back to shore.
Llandwrog coast guard threw a line out to the dinghy during the rescue.
They then took the boys to a nearby cafe. No medical treatment was needed.
Holyhead Coastguard watch officer Robert Bowyer not to go out in off shore winds.
He added: “The winds can reach up to 4 miles per hour, couple with an outgoing tide - People don’t realise how quickly they can be swept out.”
Mr Bowyer said that all dinghies should have a line attached for someone to hold on the shore while it is on the water.