A GERMAN shepherd missing for four days was rescued a mile out to sea after he had dived in to chase a seagull.

Workman reported a dog had dived into the sea, and eight-year-old pooch Storm was “on his last legs” when the RNLI found him.

The exhausted hound was taken back to shore yesterday and reunited with his owners before being taken to be treated at Senlac Vets in Battle for shock.

Storm had been missing since Sunday night and owner Craig Lazar, 46, was on Hastings seafront looking for him after a reported sighting.

Mr Lazar's partner Helen Sygrave, 32, of Priory Road, Hastings, said: "I had a phone call from two lads who said they had seen Storm running off down the High Street.

"By the time Craig got to the seafront, Storm had gone into the sea.

"Storm must have been seriously starving to go after the seagull.

"We were just hoping and praying he would be okay, it was quite treacherous out there.

"After I heard what was happening I was just thinking 'please don't die'."

Ms Sygrave said her two-year-old daughter Penny-Sue had been crying out for Storm - but "jumped for joy" when he was found.

The family thanked everyone who joined for the search for Storm, who had escaped through a gap in the garden fence left by vandals.

Posters were placed across the town and the search involved people across Hastings and beyond - including Gina Clarke of doglost.co.uk and Jenny Brown from K9Tracker.

The Hastings Lifeboat was dispatched with coxswain Steve Warne and volunteer helm Billy Sutton who went out and they brought him back to the lifeboat station.

Mr Warne said: "By the time we found him he was about a mile out and very tired. I just hope he makes a full recovery.

“It was more luck than judgment finding him. You always hope you will find what you are looking for."

Nick Jury, coastal operations officer at Hastings Coastguard, met Mr Lazar on the seafront and they watched the rescue via binoculars.

He urged people not to plunge in after their animals after they get swept out to see and instead contact the Coastguard.

He added: “There is a long history of people going in to rescue jobs, getting into trouble, and drowning – and then two minutes later the dog climbs out.”