A 14-year-old boy has died after the inflatable dinghy he was sailing in with a friend capsized in the North Sea.

The boy, who has not been named, was recovered from the sea near Ugie Beach at Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire.

The incident was one of a series of rescues which took place as people took to the water amid soaring temperatures on Monday.

The boy was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a serious condition but police later said he died. His friend, who was believed to be aged between 12 and 14, was able to swim to the shore.

There was a spate of calls for help

A rescue operation involving an RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth and two lifeboats from Peterhead was launched after an emergency call from one of the boys' friends.

The 14-year-old was found 45 minutes after first going missing in the water.

A group of his friends had been watching the pair in the dinghy from the beach and called the coastguard just after 1500 BST.

A father and his two daughters were rescued from the Firth of Tay and a girl was in a stable condition in hospital after getting into trouble in Caithness.

The father and his children, from Dundee, fell into the water when the inflatables they were on capsized near Broughty Ferry.

These young men did a lot to help these people in need and should be commended

Coastguard spokesman

Two young men who went to their aid were taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, along with the father and his two daughters, a coastguard spokesman said.

All five were understood to be in a stable condition.

A coastguard spokesman said: "These young men did a lot to help these people in need and should be commended."

Police praised two holidaymakers who helped to save the life of a girl who was drowning in a loch.

They pulled the 14-year-old from Loch Watten, in Caithness, after she got into difficulty while swimming with friends.

Rowing boat

The girl, who lives in the Caithness area, was said to be in a stable condition in Caithness General Hospital in Wick after being rescued at 1445BST

Northern Constabulary said the two men, one of whom was aged in his 60s and the other in his 30s, had been fishing in the loch when they heard a group of youngsters shout for help.

The men had been in a small rowing boat and rowed over to the two girls and a boy who were swimming.

They saw the 14-year-old girl go below the water and pulled the unconscious child into the boat.

A police spokesman said: "These men should be praised for their actions."