Lifeboat volunteers had to run out of a fundraiser’s funeral to rescue a sailor who collapsed at sea.

They had to abandon coffin-carrying duties to race out to sea after a 24-year-old fisherman suffered a severe allergic reaction and began drifting in and out of consciousness.

Undertakers took over at the funeral of RNLI fundraiser Daphne Lake while the volunteers sailed out of Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne at midday yesterday.

The crew’s medical advisor Stephen Lytton and crewman paramedic Guy Emery helped the fisherman, who had suffered a reaction of painkillers for sore wisdom teeth.

He was taken back to shore and sent to hospital in an ambulance.

Friends of Mrs Lake said the 77- year-old would have been delighted with the drama at St Richard’s Church in Eastbourne.

Mrs Lake, of Langney, Eastbourne, died on April 24.

RNLI spokesman Bob Jeffrey said: “A packed house had gathered at St Richard’s to pay their tributes to the life of a popular long-term supporter of Eastbourne lifeboats when suddenly the crew pagers interrupted pro- ceedings.

“The on-duty volunteer lifeboat crew were forced to abruptly rush to the assistance of a crewman aboard Eastbourne’s largest commercial fishing boat who had suffered a severe allergic reaction.”

A lifeboat volunteer said they were just about to carry philanthropist Mrs Lake’s coffin out of the church when they were urgently called away.

The Eastbourne RNLI volunteer admitted: “It was absolutely sod’s law.

"ut I am sure Daphne would have understood – she probably would have laughed.”

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called to Eastbourne to reports a man in his 20s had suffered an allergic reaction at sea.

“He was assessed and taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital.”