An injured coastguard rescue officer has been dramatically rescued by helicopter.

The emergency services had been called to retrieve a dead body on Peacehaven Beach this morning, before a coastguard officer injured himself on the rocks. 

With the tide fast approaching, the injured coastguard rescue officer was winched into the air to a helicopter in a dramatic rescue. 

Emergency services were originally called at 11.34am to reports of a casualty on the beach. 

The body was pronounced dead at the scene. 

A large team of rescue officers were needed to remove the body from the tricky terrain at the beach. 

It understood a rescuer twisted his ankle on the rocks. 

Due to the incoming tide it was decided, he needed to be winched from the tricky spot. 

The £8.7 million pound AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter then hovered precariously over the rocks, while a rescuer onboard winched down to the beach. 

The injured officer was then winched up from the beach into the safety of the helicopter above.

He was then winched down to a safe spot behind, around 3.45pm.

 

An eyewitness at the scene said: "It was very difficult trying to recover the body, there were around 25 coastguard rescue officers. 
"The extraction was so difficult due to the seaweed and rocks.

"One of the rescuers twisted his ankle, and with the tide coming in, they got a helicopter in to airlift him. 
"It just shows anyone can get into trouble on the rocks.

"The helicopter pilot showed amazing airmanship."

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokeswoman said: "The coast guard rescue officer had a minor injury but because of the terrain, it was thought it was better to winch the officer out. 

"He is now on his way home."

A South East Coast Ambulance spokeswoman said: "We called at 11.34am to respond to a a single patient on Peacehaven Beach.

"Crew attended and unfortunately pronounced the individual as deceased at the scene. 

"There was nothing we could do for them sadly."