A BOY was rescued from rough seas after a combined effort by emergency services.

The 13-year-old got into difficulty at Black Rock beach near Brighton Marina at 4.50pm today.

A lifeguard waded in to try to rescue him from powerful waves that were battering the beach.

But after a 15-minute ordeal it was the inshore lifeboat from RNLI volunteers that brought the pair to safety.

Police say the boy was lucky to escape, and also lucky to have a 12-year-old pal who stayed calm on the phone to emergency services.

The danger emerged at 4.50pm, and Brighton Beach Lifeguards responded quickly, along with the ambulance service, RNLI, and coastguard teams from Shoreham and Eastbourne.

A HM Coastguard spokesman said: "A Lifeguard entered the water but was unable to recover the casualty to  shore.

"The lifeboat recovered both the lifeguard and the casualty and transferred them to the lifeboat station."

The boy was then looked after by paramedics and taken to hospital.

Police have paid tribute to his 12-year-old friend whose clear and calm reports on the telephone to an emergency call taker they described as 'amazing' and probably life-saving.

Chief Inspector Roy Hodder said: "“This young lad was lucky and a lot of the credit for his safe rescue must go to his friend who showed remarkable calm on the phone to us and whose amazing clarity of information enabled his swift recovery from the water by the RNLI team.”

Further along the beach in more popular areas red flags were used to warn beachgoers not to enter the sea.

It follows strong winds brought by Storm Miguel, with gusts lashing the south coast at speeds of 50mph.

The boy got into difficulty, and his friends were unable to help him.

Chief Insp Hodder said the sea is now expected to calm down, but warned people of the danger of approaching the water's edge, even just for a paddle.

He added: "It is very easy for your feet to be swept from under you and you can be dragged into deep water and some way offshore in next to no time.

"Please take care and also make sure that even though it all looks very exciting, youngsters are fully aware of the dangers."

Were you the boy affected by this story, or the lifeguard who braved the danger? Share your story. Email: aidan.barlow@theargus.co.uk.