TWO paddleboarders were shocked to discover a teenage boy clinging to a basketball hundreds of metres from shore.

A Newhaven RNLI crew was tasked with the unusual rescue 500 metres from the beach at Seaford.

He had been swimming off the coast when he began to struggle to stay afloat, and had used the basketball in an attempt to keep his head above the water.

Team members said the 14-year-old boy was “extremely relieved” to see them as they hauled him out of the water.

The lifeboat station received a mayday call at 4pm yesterday and the team took off at speed, reaching the casualty in just six minutes.

With an off-shore wind and a tide pushing to the east, coxswain Lewis Arnold said it was “critical” the boy was found quickly.

The two paddleboarders were able to grab hold of the boy and bring him towards the approaching lifeboat as it was manoeuvred into the shallow water.

There, crews opened the starboard well deck for recovery and used a scramble net to haul the boy aboard.

They then carried out a casualty care assessment, quickly finding the teenager was freezing cold and exhausted teen.

An ambulance was requested to meet the crew at Newhaven Lifeboat Station, and he was handed into the care of the South East Coast Ambulance Service.

Mr Arnold said: “We are very grateful to the passing paddleboarders who assisted this young lad.

“Without them, the outcome could have been very different for him.

“If you’re swimming in this beautiful weather, please remember that the water is still cold and the wind and currents can make it very difficult to get back to shore if you’ve swum out further than you intended.

“If you spot anyone in difficulty in the sea, please call 999 immediately and ask for the coastguard.

“We’d always rather launch to someone who doesn’t need our help than not to hear about someone in trouble until it’s to late.”

Jane Massey, deputy launch authority at Newhaven RNLI, reinforced her colleague’s comments.

She said: “It’s hardly surprising the public are eager to make the most of the hot weather we’ve been experiencing lately by spending time at the beach.

“But, as restrictions on movement are eased, we urge people to look out for their families and others around them and, now more than ever, to make themselves aware of the wind and tides and to play safely in the water.”