Newhaven's volunteer RNLI crew has rescued a 14-year-old boy from the sea, after he was spotted in the water clinging to a basketball as a float.
Staff said they responded to a 'mayday' call on Monday (June 1), from HM Solent Coastguard, about the emergency at the end of Seaford's beach.
At this time, they already knew that a teenager had apparently got into difficulty in the water.
Describing the urgency of their operation, Lewis Arnold, coxswain of Newhaven RNLI, said:
"With off-shore wind and tide pushing to the east, our speed to the casualty was critical.
"ETA to the approximate location was 6 minutes."
According to the RNLI, at this point, two paddle boarders, who had spotted the casualty clinging to a basketball to keep himself afloat, got hold of him and helped to bring the him towards the lifeboat.
Crew members said they prepared an A-Frame and scramble net before opening part of the deck to allow recovery.
In a dramatic video (below) shared by the lifeboat crew, the casualty can be seen clinging to the net, as strops were lowered into position.
Finally on board, the fourteen-year-old boy showed signs of being very cold and exhausted.
At this point, crews requested an ambulance to meet them on shore.
Lewis Arnold thanked the paddleboarders:
"Without them, the outcome could have been very different for the boy we rescued."
He added a warning:
"If you're swimming, please remember that the water is still cold at this time of year, and the wind and currents can make it very difficult to get back to shore if you've swum out further than you intended.
"If you spot anyone in difficulty in the sea, please call 999 immediately and ask for the coastguard.
"We'd always rather launch to someone who doesn't need our help, than not to hear about someone in trouble, until it's too late."
(This video by the RNLI Newhaven crew is silent.)
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