A man has become a lifeboat volunteer after being rescued from the sea.

Windsurfer Robin Deakin was saved after an accident left him stranded three miles from land in bad weather.

He is now a trained crew member with Newhaven Lifeboat and hopes he can help someone in the same situation.

Mr Deakin, 43, of Brighton Road, Newhaven, said: "I was very worried that no one would see me and I would just be swept along the coast.

"It started me thinking about getting involved in maritime rescue myself."

His own dramatic accident happened when he was out windsurfing alone in Pevensey Bay near Eastbourne last July.

He had gone further out to sea than he realised when his boom broke on his sail.

He began waving and shouting for assistance but was afraid he was too far out to be seen.

Luckily, someone from Pevensey Bay Sailing Club spotted him and brought him back to shore in the club's rescue craft.

The incident left Mr Deakin, who is married, shaken up and wondering how he could help others now his own life had been saved.

He got in touch with Newhaven Lifeboat and has spent the last three months training as a volunteer crew member in his spare time.

He is now qualified to help in emergencies and can be paged any time of the day or night to go out on the boat.

Mr Deakin, a gardener for Newhaven Town Council, said: "It's been great fun and a wonderful experience.

"If the sailing club hadn't saved me last summer I could have been in serious trouble "Now I feel I can return the favour if anyone else gets into difficulty."

Mr Deakin had been windsurfing for 15 years before the incident and had never needed rescuing before.

Newhaven lifeboat station mechanic Andy MacQueen said: "Robin is probably the first crew member we've had who has actually been rescued himself."

Anyone who wants to volunteer for Newhaven Lifeboat should call 01273 514143.

For more information about the RNLI go to www.rnli.org.uk