POLICE are reminding the public of the dangers of jumping into the sea after a teenager had to be rescued on Tuesday.

The 17 year old boy, who does not wish to be named, was with a group of friends who were jumping off the sea wall on Loch Promenade.

After jumping in he immediately got into difficulty and was rescued by a friend who brought him to the shore, where he was treated by paramedics.

He was taken to Noble's Hospital and kept in overnight after swallowing a large amount of sea water which caused breathing difficulties.

PC Mike Taylor from the Douglas Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "We would like to take this opportunity to raise the awareness of the dangers of jumping into the sea.

"The young male involved in this incident was very lucky he was able to be pulled from the water in a timely manner.

"I would urge parents who are aware of their children jumping into the sea to stress the dangers of such activity and deter them from taking any unnecessary risks."

Police say this type of activity always increases when the weather improves – particularly if the good weather coincides with young people being off school.