TWO teenagers were rescued by coastguards last night after they became stranded beneath the Orwell Bridge while fishing.The two boys from Ipswich, aged 16 and 17, had ventured out at low tide to a platform at the base of one of the bridge's supports.

TWO teenagers were rescued by coastguards last night after they became stranded beneath the Orwell Bridge while fishing.

The two boys from Ipswich, aged 16 and 17, had ventured out at low tide to a platform at the base of one of the bridge's supports.

But the rising tide meant they became cut off and various members of the public spotted them at about 6.30pm and called 999.

Police were called to the River Orwell in Ipswich and the force's helicopter was also called to assist while Harwich Inshore Lifeboat was launched and coastguards at Felixstowe alerted.

Officers on board the helicopter used a loud speaker to tell the boys to stay where they were.

The teenagers were picked up by the lifeboat from the bridge's platform and taken to the shore at Nacton at around 7.45pm.

Anthony Mayhew of Thames Coastguards said: "The rescue was fairly straight forward.

"The main urgency for us was the incoming tide which was about an hour and a half away.

"The boys were quite distraught at the time but were laughing and joking when they were dropped off. They did not require any medical attention.

"They would not have been in any danger because the water would not have covered the platform, but because of the rising water they could not get back to the shore. They must have been out there for quite a while."