This is the terrifying moment a child is swept off a pier by huge waves created by the end of Hurricane Ernesto as Storm Lilian rages towards the UK.

The boy, who is believed to be no older than 12, was probably alone when he fell into the sea under dangerous conditions on Thursday.

RNLI rescuers are now fearing the worst as Storm Lillian brings more dangerous weather just in time for the August bank holiday, often the busiest weekend of the year on Britain’s beaches.

The terrifying incident at Sennen Cove, West Cornwall, was captured on camera by Benjamin Elliott, who said it highlighted “the dangers” of waves and the sea, CornwallLive reported.

He said he hoped his photos would serve as a warning to others, and that the young man was “incredibly lucky” not to have suffered any injuries.

Mr Elliott told Cornwall Live: “He made it to the end before a big wave hit the pier. He decided to run back but didn’t time his run right and was hit by a second wave.

“This pushed him off the pier wall and he narrowly missed a nasty blow to his head. He fell into the sea, wearing a Dryrobe, a fishing rod in his hand and sunglasses.”

Fortunately, bystanders quickly sprang into action as the tide rose and waves “crashed against the pier”. Mr Elliot said four men “braved the water” to rescue the boy.

The boy was described as “incredibly lucky” and the situation could have been much more dangerous if he had been washed to the other side of the breaker, where he saw several waves crashing against the breaker.

Mr Elliott said the boy was “clearly embarrassed by his behaviour and lacked maturity” and claimed he had not stayed behind to thank the men who rescued him.

“He was weighed down by his Dryrobe and was clearly lucky that there were others around,” added Mr Elliott.

RNLI Lifeguards were holding red flags at Sennen Beach at the time – a warning sign indicating dangerous conditions and that swimming is not permitted. It happened as the tail end of Hurricane Ernesto hit the UK – with Storm Lillian hot on its heels over the bank holiday weekend.

The region will also experience large spring tides, resulting in extremely high tides in the morning and evening, increasing water movement and the potential for tidal closures – and large waves. The forecast calls for sunshine with strong winds and medium to large waves.

These conditions, combined with the expected influx of tourists to the coast on what is often the busiest weekend of the year, have the charity’s lifeguards fearing the worst.

Guy Botterill, head of the South West Regional Lifeguard, issued a dire warning ahead of the long weekend.

He said: “We are expecting warm weather and quite severe conditions this long weekend. If you are heading to the coast it is therefore vital that you follow the advice of the RNLI and go to a patrolled beach, where our teams will be carrying out patrols every day from 10am to 6pm.

“If you’re going swimming or bodyboarding, do it between the red and yellow flags, because that’s the safest place to do it. We hope everyone has a nice and safe weekend at the coast.”