A COURAGEOUS coastguard crew member swam through raging waves to save a person who had been seen in the sea.
Emergency teams were scrambled to Cuckmere Haven after a 999 call at 1.10pm alerted them to two people in the water near the beauty spot.
The coastguard helicoper joined the Newhaven and Birling Gap rescue teams, as well as a crew from Newhaven Lifeboat, in speeding to the scene.
They arrived to find that one person had been able to make their way back to shore, but the second person remained stranded at sea.
Despite the high winds, heavy rain and vicious waves which have battered the Sussex coast relentlessly today, one member of the coastguard crew entered the water.
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Incredibly, they were able to recover the casualty and bring them back to shore.
Once there, they were transferred to hospital by helicopter.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokeswoman said: "A person has been recovered from the sea at Cuckmere Haven by a coastguard swimmer.
"The coastguard received a 999 call at 1.10 pm this afternoon to report that two people had been in the water.
"One had self-recovered. The second was still at sea.
"The Newhaven and Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Teams, Newhaven Lifeboat, a senior coastguard operations officer and a coastguard helicopter all went to the scene.
"The rescue swimmer recovered the person from the water and they have been airlifted to hospital by helicopter."
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