A teenager who nearly drowned in the sea has thanked his rescuers for saving his life.

Stephen Buquich was struggling to keep his head above water after being caught in a rip tide while swimming in the sea with friends.

The 17-year-old started panicking and felt as though he would pass out after swallowing a lot of water.

His friends called for help and the Brighton lifeboat crew arrived.

But as he was in only 5ft of water, it was too shallow for the lifeboat to get close enough to Stephen so crew member Dan Gurr dived in to the sea.

Dan swam Stephen to safety and then his fellow crewmen Kieron Lawlor and Mark Smith helped get the student to waiting paramedics.

Stephen said he owes them his life.

He said: “I was with my friends swimming and then the tide just got really vicious. It just pulled me out and I started panicking and I felt I was going to pass out.

“I thought I was going to drown. Luckily the lifeboat crew managed to get to me really quickly. If they weren't there I don't know if I would have made it.

“It was pretty traumatising and I kept thinking about it afterwards. It did really scare me.”

Stephen had been in the water, near Edith Avenue, Peacehaven, for more than ten minutes before friends called for help at about 5.30pm on Sunday.

Dan, 20, the youngest member of RNLI Brighton Lifeboat crew, said: “The swimmer was in a real panic. He'd swallowed a lot of water and was being pushed underwater by breaking waves. He was incredibly lucky we were in the area. If it had taken just a few more minutes to reach him it could have ended very differently."

Alan Young, Lifeboat operations manager, said: "This young lad probably owes his life to the immediate response of the lifeboat team and the strength and skill of Dan Gurr."

Stephen, who lives with his mother Ivich in Abbey Close, Peacehaven, said the experience has given him more respect for the sea.

He has given Dan a box of chocolates as a say thank you.

He said: “It has totally made me wary about the sea and I look at it in a different way.

“My mum has always been worried. I didn't used to see it as a big deal but I’m a lot more aware now.

“I am still going to go to the beach but I won't be swimming for a while.”

Brighton Lifeboat crew is opening its doors to the public on Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

The free annual open day at the Lifeboat Station, Western Arm, Brighton Marina, will include demonstrations by Brighton and Newhaven lifeboats and the Solent Coastguards rescue helicopter.