URGENT calls for a lifeguard along a Southend beach have been made after two young boys got into difficulty within 24 hours of each other.

It comes after a five-year-old boy got into trouble in the new seafront lagoon, just a day after the Echo reported how a mysterious stranger waded in to save a six-year-old boy’s life when he went under while paddling there.

Councillor Martin Terry and Steven Brownlie, 34, from Rayleigh Drive, Leigh, are leading the calls for a full-time lifeguard. And Mr Brownlie told how he had to run in and save his five-year-old son late last week.

He said: “Theo hadn’t been in the water more than 15 minutes when I saw him go under, come up and go under again flapping his arms.

“I ran straight in, fully clothed and grabbed him. The rocks are uneven and when I picked my boy up, even I slipped. “There were no first aiders, there is nothing at all. If I wasn’t there or looked away for a second, he would have been gone.

“The council spent £1.5million on the lagoon and it seems they thought more about having fun than safety. There needs to be a full-time lifeguard and signs saying not to jump on the rocks. Or even a rope where it gets deeper to warn younger children.”

Southend councillor, Martin Terry, thinks the beach needs a lifeguard. He said: “With recent incidents happening, for example in Camber Sands, we need to make sure visitors are safe. In peak season, there should be a lifeguard. We have visitors who might not be familiar with the area and we need to look after them.”

The Echo also reported on Friday the “Southend boom” with more people flocking to our seaside while shunning foreign holidays.

Mum Jacqueline Day, 62, from Westcliff believes a lifeguard could be the answer. She said: “I was down at the lagoon last Wednesday afternoon.

“There were a lot of families down there and my daughter and I were watching her children regularly, but sadly not everyone is as observant as us.

“My daughter has a new baby so if anything had happened to her kids she would not have been able to leave a baby in a pram. “The rocks are slippery, it’s very deep so I think a lifeguard would be an asset.”

Previously, there have also been reports of children cutting their feet on the rocks in the lagoon too.

Southend Council has said it carried out a risk assessment before building the lagoon and didn’t believe a lifeguard was needed. Ann Holland, councillor for Culture, Tourism and the Economy added: “If you are using the lagoon, please observe the signs, wear sensible footwear, supervise children at all times and keep away from the rocks.”