COASTGUARDS are warning people of the dangers of taking to the sea during warm weather - after a group of people had to be plucked to safety by rescuers. The coastguard and crew from the Portishead Lifeboat Trust were called out on Sunday lunchtime after

COASTGUARDS are warning people of the dangers of taking to the sea during warm weather - after a group of people had to be plucked to safety by rescuers.The coastguard and crew from the Portishead Lifeboat Trust were called out on Sunday lunchtime after reports that three people were clinging to a canoe in the water near Ladye Bay in Clevedon.The group had been kayaking in the channel when they capsized and by the time crew had arrived had managed to swim to safety and clamber ashore.Portishead Lifeboat Trust spokesman Dave Herbert said people should make sure they 'do their homework' and understand the dangers posed by the channel before venturing out into the water. Mr Herbert, a senior coxswain at the trust, said: "We do see an increase in calls during good weather."Often we are called out to boats with engine failure but as the summer hots up we get more and more calls to swimmers and people who have run into trouble while out on dinghies."The channel has the second highest rise and fall of tide in the world and at times can be very dangerous."We would urge people to do their homework before venturing out on the water and understand how the tides work."When the tides change they do so quite dramatically and people can end up getting swept away."Mr Herbert added that low tides also posed dangers for people enjoying the coastline.He added: "At low tide people often go out onto the mud banks and this can be very dangerous."We have also had a lot of incidents where people have been cut off by the tide."We want people to enjoy the coast but to also realise the importance of staying safe at all times.