Two young women on an inflatable raft were rescued after drifting into Lake Superior a half-mile from shore off Duluth, authorities said.

Fire and Coast Guard personnel reached Lily Ek, 19, and Liza Stocke, 18, both of Duluth, midafternoon Friday and brought them back onto dry land physically unharmed, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

Ek and Stocke inflated the raft and entered the water from the beach, the Sheriff's Office said.

The two "were taken out further into the lake by the wind and currents," a Sheriff's Office statement read.

"The Sheriff's Office would like to remind swimmers to be alert to ... conditions as they can change rapidly," the statement continued.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482