VIDEO: Pair found '˜clinging to Central Pier with water up to their necks'

The pair were pulled from the chilly Irish Sea by RNLI volunteers shortly after 9.30pm yesterday.

Helmsman Shaun Wright said: “Both of the men were in very serious danger.

“They had been cut off by the incoming tide, and it was dark and extremely cold so they were starting to panic.

“If we hadn’t found them when we did the outcome could have been very different.”

Blackpool RNLI scrambled one of the station’s lifeboats when one of the men called 999 in a state of ‘distress’.

He was unable to say exactly where he was, but was ‘clearly in very serious difficulty and in need of urgent assistance,’ a spokesman for the charity said.

The lifeboat crew were making their way towards South Pier when they heard shouting from Central Pier – where they found the duo clinging on for their lives and suffering from the effects of the cold.

They were treated for hypothermia by RNLI volunteer and paramedic Brent Kenny before being taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital by the North West Ambulance Service.

RNLI Spokesperson Paul Parton added: “The casualties were caught out by the incoming tide and unable to make it to safety.

“If you are planning to go for a walk on the beach, please remember to check the tide times before you go, and remain vigilant.

“Take a mobile phone so that you can call for help if you need it, and call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if you get into difficulties.”