A MUM and dad made a desperate bid to save their young son yesterday after he slipped off a jetty and was swept out to sea.
The four-year-old boy had been running along a slipway about 100 yards off the shore when he fell into the water and failed to resurface.
His distraught parents ran in after him but were unable to reach the youngster — who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts — before he vanished out of sight.
The couple, who had been visiting friends, had to be treated by medics after swallowing water at Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.
Operation ... lifeboats, choppers and special carts join search
The alarm was raised by a member of the public at around 6pm.
A huge air and sea search involving coastguard and RAF choppers, two lifeboats and a coastguard rescue team then waged a battle against time to find the lad.
And as dozens of workers braved bitterly cold water and winds in pitch black conditions last night, rescuers vowed to keep up the hunt until the boy was found.
Desperation ... rescue team in sea yesterday
SWNS
Last night Tris Newey, from HM Coastguard, who is leading the search, said: “It has been some hours now but we are still going to continue looking throughout the night. The water can be quite hazardous and we are at spring tides at the moment. The tide is running quite fast across the jetty.”
Dozens of locals crowded around the seafront to watch the search for the boy, who is thought to be from Kettering, Northants.
Resort ... spot where lad vanished
Rescuers in fluorescent jackets used torches to scan the water.
Local vicar, the Rev Graham Witts, who visited the scene, said: “It is very worrying. The community here are shocked.”
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