A young man was rescued yesterday after becoming stranded on a cliff as the tide rushed in.
The emergency sparked a major response at Ecclesbourne Glen in Hastings Country Park after crews were tasked at 4.28pm, March 10.
Three specialist rope rescue teams and a lifeboat crew were scrambled to the scene as the water rose.
A spokesperson for Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat said: "With an incoming tide the casualty made the sensible decision to call for help.
"He was unaware of the local tide times."
Coastguard teams from Bexhill, Hastings, and Rye Bay prepared for what they feared would be a difficult and technical rope recovery.
Volunteer lifeboat crews launched within 20 minutes and were able to spot the man from the water.
Following an assessment, the man managed to carefully descend the cliff and was pulled onto the waiting rescue boat.
He was taken back to the Pett Level boathouse where he was given hot food, drink, and further welfare checks.
HM Coastguard Bexhill described the mission as a "positive outcome" and a successful example of search and rescue teams working together.
The crews were stood down once the situation was safely resolved.
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The area has seen similar incidents, including a June 2025 rescue when two walkers became stuck on Fairlight cliffs in darkness with an incoming tide and were brought back by boat.
In September 2025, part of Hastings Country Park was cordoned off after a significant rock fall at Ecclesbourne Glen, with the coastguard warning the cliff was unstable and still collapsing.
Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat is a volunteer-run inshore lifeboat charity that receives no public funding and relies on donations for vessels, equipment and crew training.
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