SUNDAY was a night to remember for one St Annes man, as ten minutes into his new lifeboat role he was involved in the dramatic sea rescue of two young boys.

Frank Kilroy had just taken over as lifeboat operations manager station at Lytham St Annes lifeboat when he took a call that sparked a huge air-sea operation.

"The coastguard rang me that this lad had turned up - there was a lot of confusion because at first nobody knew there was anyone else missing.

"When I spoke to the lad he was hypothermic and rambling but he kept going on about a red light and I thought he was talking about the river light.

"When it was clear that two other boys were missing, 64-year-old Frank used his launching authority to permit the first rescue launch of the Lytham St Annes lifeboat from its new station.

"I certainly didn't expect it after ten minutes as lifeboat operations manager," said Frank, a retired customs and excise worker who has been a lifeboat volunteer since 1984, and a launching authority since 1990 as station honorary secretary.

The operation was sparked by three boys from Burnley -- one aged 12 and two aged 13 -- who slipped away from their social services day trip to Funland, Southport and started to walk across the Ribble estuary towards Lytham.

But the boys became trapped by the incoming tide and were forced to cling onto a navigation perch used to guide boats along the treacherous river.

The alarm was raised only when the younger boy was swept off but managed to swim to shore and raise the alarm at about 11.45pm.

Andrew Fallow, spokesman for Lytham St Annes lifeboat, said: "He remembers he was swimming for about an hour and a half. It's incredible. One of our guys was convinced he was looking for bodies."

The search and rescue operation involved two lifeboats from Lytham St Annes and two from Blackpool, plus the Lancashire and Merseyside Police helicopters and paramedics.

With an RAF helicopter also on its way, the two boys were found on the perch 11 miles out of Preston docks.

They were taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for treatment for hypothermia.

Andrew said: "They were very lucky. There was very little wind and this time of the year the water's a lot warmer. People don't realise how dangerous it is trying to walk across the river.

"There's something about the air quality about the time they set off that the scenery looks closer than it is and it's very tempting to cross."

An investigation has been launched by Lancashire's social services bosses into how the boys managed to slip away from day trip organisers.

* In a separate incident, a teenager had to be rescued from mud flats at the mouth of the River Wyre. The fire brigade was called at 7pm on Tuesday evening to mud flats near Stannah picnic site.

They used specialist equipment, including an inflatable walkway, to make their way to the boy, who was suffering from hypothermia and shock.