RHYL lifeboat members had to break off from an assessment exercise to rescue a family cut off by the tide.

A practice session with a helicopter was also cut short following 999 calls from the public.

Just before the winching was to begin, Rhyl Lifeboat crew were called upon after reports of a boat drifting off Prestatyn.

Both of Rhyl's lifeboats and the helicopter left the exercise to investigate.

Mechanic Callum Robinson said: "The vessel was found to be a small boat with the occupants drift fishing. As the exercise was about to restart the helicopter was tasked to another incident in Snowdonia, and had to leave the exercise.

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"Training continued on the lifeboats until the inshore lifeboat was tasked to reports of a dinghy off Kinmel Bay.

"The All-weather lifeboat was just leaving Rhyl harbour, so also attended the area and found a large set of half deflated helium balloons."

The rescue of the family happened earlier in the day 

Two adults and two very young children, off a sand bank, had been cut off by a gully with a quick running incoming tide.

The family were landed back on the beach and the lifeboat continued its exercise.