PICTURES have emerged of a young boy playing in high waves on Chesil Beach and a group posing for a photo in strong winds on Pulpit Rock as people are urged to stay safe by the sea.

A reader, who wished to remain anonymous, sent the Echo pictures of a young boy playing in the waves on Chesil Beach, Portland.

Another, sent in photos of a group of people posing for a picture on top of Pulpit Rock at Portland Bill, as waves crash below.

Both the coastguard and the RNLI are urging people to respect the water and stay safe by the sea after the deaths at the weekend.

One man died in “very rough seas” off a beach in Sandbanks, near Poole.

The RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign urges people to be aware of the dangers of the water.

The pictures from Chesil Beach show high waves with the young boy on the edge of the beach.

The reader who sent the photos in said that they were surprised to see the boy so near to the edge of the water and were concerned about a rogue wave, adding that the boy was soaking wet.

The second person, who sent in the pictures at Pulpit Rock said that while people should be able to climb it they should be wary of doing so in high winds.

Weymouth Lifeboat spokesman, Ken Francis, reiterated the RNLI’s safety message surrounding the sea.

He said: “We’ve been running the Respect the Water campaign for some time now and that is trying to inform the public of the dangers of the sea.

“Most of the people that drown never intend to go in the water. They’re standing watching waves and they don’t seem to realise the dangers that they are looking at.”

The Respect the Water campaign aims to help people to recognise the danger of the water but also to never underestimate its power.

The coastguard has also been urging people to stay away from surging waves, warning that they could sweep someone off their feet.

It also warned people to be careful of tides and that it is easy to become cutt off and strong wind conditions mean that the sea will reach higher levels than expected.

James Instance from UK Coastguard said: “What should be an enjoyable experience could so easily take a traumatic turn, so please do listen to warnings and stay at a safe distance from the water.”