'I wouldn't be here without these volunteers'

A man has met one of the RNLI volunteers who saved his life after he went for a walk on the beach but ended up trapped between the cliffs and huge waves after the tide came in.

Chris Haffenden, 44, said it was an "honour" to have met Andy, a member of the crew who came to his aid after he was stranded at Birling Gap near Seaford in East Sussex in February.

"It was mad how quickly the sea came in and I was definitely panicking but I felt a lot of relief when the lifeboat came into view," he said.

"I wouldn't be here today without the crew's actions and that's very humbling to think about." After the rescue, he said he realised it was a spring tide, something he had not seen before.

After Haffenden was rescued cold but uninjured, the RNLI volunteers told how they faced "challenging shore-dump conditions", with two-metre (6.5ft) waves breaking on the shore.

They found him about 500 metres west of the William Charles Monument, between the Seven Sisters cliffs and Birling Gap.

Haffenden, a former estate manager from Hailsham, said he had thought he had two hours before high tide, with an hour's walking time, but ended up taking refuge in a cubby hole in the cliff, with the cove rapidly decreasing.

With no phone reception, he contacted the coastguard using a radio that can transmit, which he keeps in his bag.

"Not everyone realises the RNLI crew are volunteers who step away from their families and work to do this, but those heroes saved me," he said.

It comes as the RNLI released data that shows its lifeboats launched more than 9,000 times, an average of 25 a day, and helped about 8,300 people last year.

The charity has put out a "Mayday" call, asking the public to support its lifesavers by taking part in its Mayday Mile - which asks participants to run, walk, jog, swim or cycle a mile each day in May to raise funds.

Kate Eardley, RNLI head of global drowning prevention, said: "The sheer number of lifeboat launches last year highlight just how quickly a day at the coast can change - and why our safety advice and volunteer crews are so vital.

"We're incredibly proud that our crews are ready to launch at a moment's notice but these figures also underline the ongoing need for public support."

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