A paddleboarding mum thought she was going to die after being swept out to sea while helping two teenagers struggling in the water.

Terrified Kim Louise Esposito from Sheerness found herself fighting against the tide as the wind blew her two miles away from the coast.

Luckily she had packed her phone in a dry bag, and was able to raise the alarm with the coastguard and RNLI.

She said: “It was so scary. I thought, ‘is this really happening?’ I was beginning to panic.

“I was getting further and further out. I didn’t want to turn around too much, lose my balance and fall in the water.

“The waves were getting bigger and I knew if I fell off, I wouldn’t have the strength to pull myself up.”

Kim had decided to test out her new paddleboard with her friend Katie at Minster Leas Beach on Sunday afternoon (June 22).

The 35-year-old is a confident swimmer and previously learned how to scuba dive.

At the time she was out paddleboarding the tide was receding, causing the water to become quite shallow, and there was a fair amount of wind.

Kim then heard a man shouting out to sea and spotted two young girls in an orange dinghy.

“Oh my god, they were really far out,” she said. “I could barely see them. I don’t know what I was thinking, I just started paddling to try and get to them.”

After being warned by Kim about the danger they were in, the girls, who were around 12 or 13, attempted to swim against the tide.

They eventually abandoned the dinghy and managed to wade back to shore together.

Once Kim had gained her bearings, she quickly realised how much she had drifted out herself.

“It all just happened really quickly. As I tried to turn my board, the wind took me,” the mum-of-one explained.

“I was paddling for about 15 minutes and wasn’t getting anywhere. I tried to shout to my friend, but she couldn’t hear me.

“You can’t fight against the sea and I felt myself getting quite tired.

“I was paddling to stay in the same spot. If I stopped for a minute, I would get swept further back.”

Luckily, Kim had bought some belongings with her in a dry bag and immediately called her wife, Melissa, who was at home.

She then contacted the coastguard by dialling 999.

After an hour-and-a-half of drifting, Kim was spotted and quickly brought ashore.

“It was awful. I didn’t know if I was going to be found,” she added. “My wife was so frightened. I do feel like they saved my life.

“I was relieved and in shock. I still don’t know how I can ever thank them.”

A spokesman for HM Coastguard said: “At 3.02pm on Sunday, June 22, we received reports of a paddleboarder in difficulty in waters off Minster Leas.

”Sheppey Coastguard Rescue Team and RNLI Sheerness inshore lifeboat were called and the casualty was recovered safely back to shore where they were given safety advice from coastguards.”

Last weekend the RNLI volunteer crew at Sheerness responded to several call-outs – taking the total past 50 for this year.

The recent surge began on Thursday evening (June 19), when the inshore lifeboat was launched following reports of a dog in the water, with members of the public attempting a rescue. Crews arrived to find everyone safely ashore.

They were then diverted to reports of tombstoning from Neptune Jetty in which a woman fractured her ankle.

They also responded to a person struggling in the water.

The next day (June 20) at 7.06pm, the lifeboat was sent out again following reports of a windsurfer in difficulty off Minster Leas Beach, but was stood down, as it was on Saturday morning (June 21) when it responded to reports of a person at risk.

On Sunday (June 22), there were a further two call-outs - to a broken-down jet ski with three people onboard near the entrance to Stangate Creek and then to Kim.

Since the incident, she has shared a post on Facebook, warning others about the dangers and explaining how she was “grateful to be alive”.

“The 999 caller stayed on the phone to me the entire time until the lifeboat came whilst I clung on for dear life,” it went on to say.

“Nothing but sea and waves. I’m still trying to come to terms with it all. A terrifying experience led with good intentions.

“Lesson learnt not to mess with the sea and to make better future risk assessments before paddling.”

The RNLI advises anyone in an emergency to call 999 and ask for the coastguard.

People should also choose a lifeguarded beach wherever possible.

Alan Carr, lifeboat operations manager, added: “This recent spell of warm weather has brought more people to the water, and with that, a rise in incidents.

“Reaching 50 shouts already this year underlines the importance of our crew’s dedication.

“We urge everyone enjoying the coast to respect the sea, check conditions, wear a buoyancy aid, and always tell someone your plans.”