Two wild swimmers have been rescued from the water after getting into difficulty near Hopeman.
Rescuers were called to Hopeman East Beach around 1pm on Saturday following concerns for several people in the water.
Four swimmers found themselves caught in a rip current and were being dragged out to sea.
Two swimmers managed to reach the shoreline safely, but two others remained stranded.
Members of Burghead coastguard rescue team and Moray Inshore Rescue Organisation (Miro) attended the scene alongside the coastguard helicopter from Inverness.
Once there, officers with water rescue experience dived into the water and swam through breaking surf to locate the two casualties.
Safely ashore, the individuals were assessed by members of Inverness coastguard before being allowed to return home.
Moray coastguard has now provided guidance to fellow wild swimmers on how to deal with a rip current.
They wrote: “Rips are strong currents running out to sea which can quickly drag you out of your depth.
“Sometimes they reach speeds faster than an Olympic swimmer, so it might not be a surprise that they’re a major cause of accidental drowning on beaches worldwide.
“To break the grip of a rip: don’t try to swim against it or you’ll get exhausted. If you can stand, wade don’t swim. If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore. Raise your hand, shout for help.”