North Devon Council has issued a warning after a girl was swept out to sea at Ilfracombe Harbour.

The council said four children were playing on the pier slipway during high tide before the girl fell into the sea on 3 August just before 7pm.

Footage shows the girl being swept into the water after being hit by a large wave.

She was saved by two members of the public with the help of a lifebuoy and Ilfracombe RNLI provided casualty care to two children before taking them home.

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Harbourmaster Georgina Carlo-Paat said the incident was a “serious reminder” of high-risk activities in the harbour, adding that sea conditions were “very volatile”.

She said: “This incident is a serious reminder of the dangers of tombstoning and other high-risk activities in the harbour. Not only were the youths lucky not to be more seriously injured, they put their lives in danger as well as those of quick-thinking bystanders who acted when they got into trouble.

“The sea conditions were very volatile and all of the youths had been knocked off their feet on the slipway prior to the incident, but still continued to run into surging waves.”

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The council reminded people of the dangers of tombstoning – jumping or diving from a height into water.

It said a by-law prohibits people from jumping, diving into and swimming at the harbour without permission from the harbourmaster to protect them from risks like “submerged objects and rocks, and the strong currents that can rapidly sweep people away”.

The penalty for jumping off the harbour can be up to a £1,000 fine.

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