A man’s was pulled from the water by beach lifeguards after he was spotted face down in the water off Hove Lawns this afternoon.
As they combed the water, the lifeguards conducted a shoreline search. A beach lifeguard found the man and got him to the beach where they started CPR.
The lifeboat helmsman made the decision to beach the Atlantic 85 so its volunteer crew could also provide medical assistance to the unconscious man.
A full medical was carried out by the lifeguards, Paddle Round the Pier team and volunteer crew, and the man was passed over to South East Coast Ambulance Service.
However, Brighton and Hove News understands the man was still in a serious condition when he was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital for further treatment.
Helmsman Daniel Gurr said: “This was brilliant team work between Brighton beach lifeguards and the volunteer crew of Brighton lifeboat. I would also like to say my thanks to the 20 passers-by and beach lifeguards that assisted in getting the lifeboat back into the sea.”
A woman who was on the beach with her parents during the rescue said it was a “shocking ordeal”.
She said: “I was sat on the beach with my parents and we saw a lifeboat and lifeguards searching for about 20 minutes before they eventually pulled an unconscious body out of the sea.
“They were practising CPR for what seemed like a lifetime but then they did bring him back. We all thought he was dead as he must have been in the water for so long but then we heard afterwards that he was brought back.
“It was a shocking ordeal.”
i was there. it was really traumatic to watch the search and rescue and frankly when they found him, I feared for the worse. I am so happy to read that they were able to resuscitate him. Hope that he continues to recover
I was there. I’m amazed that they managed to bring him back they were searching for so long. There were people crying and screaming around him I also saw a lifeguard crying and having to be consoled
It was awful to see but a brilliant effort by professionals and public.
A true miracle that he’s alive I think, I pray that he makes a full recovery.
I saw the brilliant efforts from the lifeguards and ambulance service from the promenade. They did everything they could and it was nice to see so many people helping to push to lifeboat back into the water. Unfortunately I just read in the Argus that the man in his mid 50s passed away in hospital. Very sad news and I feel for the family 🙁
I wonder what happened and why he got into trouble in the sea. It shows how dangerous the sea can be. Very sad. RIP x
I saw this too, I was sat on Hove lawns with friends when we noticed everybody peering over the railings, we went to see what was going on and I saw two men been dragged out the water and wrapped that had appeared to have been looking for the man, another gentleman climbed over the railings and said he’d also attempted swimming out to save the man but the current was too strong and he couldn’t reach him! We watched for a good ten minutes waiting and hoping that the lifeguards and all the diving volunteers would find him, which they did and we watched the lifeboat mount the shoreline, we had to leave as it was so upsetting and distressing and didn’t want to watch unrespectively while they performed cpr, we waiting to hear the sirens of the ambulance but didn’t and then decided to leave the area. All evening and today I couldn’t stop thinking about this man and his poor family, then read he’d been resuscitated but so saddened at the news he’s passed away in hospital. My love wishes and thoughts are with his family. And well done to all the people that tried their best to save him! X