Television companies are bidding for footage captured by two Sussex men while they were caught adrift in a stricken yacht amid perilous seas.

Shayne Howell, 29, and Marcus Whitney, 21, were among 12 young British tourists aboard the vessel searching for good surfing spots off Bali.

But stormy seas struck near the resort island of Lombok, triggering engine failure in their 23-metre outrigger and threatening to capsize the boat.

As water threatened to overwhelm the vessel, 19-year-old Rebecca Fyfe sent an SOS text message on her mobile phone to her boyfriend Nick Hodgson 8,000 away in Cornwall.

Nick raised the alarm and an international rescue operation swung into operation.

In the meantime, Shayne, from Eastbourne and Marcus, from Crowhurst near Hastings, and two others used their surfboards to paddle 300 metres to shore.

Speaking from Bali, Marcus said he hoped footage taken using a video camera would be turned into a feature-length documentary.

He said: "We plan on making a documentary about the trip using our home footage, which is amazing as it shows what went wrong.

"We are looking for companies to buy the footage but so far it has only been American companies that have offered us reasonable amounts."

As Marcus and Shayne recovered at a four-star hotel on Bali this weekend, their mothers said they were deeply relieved to know they were safe.

Mrs Howell, of Greys Road, Eastbourne heard her son was safe in a five-minute phone call.

She said: "I could tell just by speaking to him that it was a traumatic experience. He said he had left all his possessions, including his passport, on board the boat while he surfed to shore."

Noela Hudson, Marcus's mother, said: "My head is still spinning and I didn't get much sleep. I am just very relieved he is in one piece. The whole thing is just typical of him.

"He seems to have no fear of the water."