A team of divers was rescued after water swamped their inflatable boat seven miles out at sea.

The 11 men were looking forward to an enjoyable day's diving but ended up having to call for help on the radio seven miles south of Littlehampton harbour at 12.30pm yesterday.

They bobbed around water for more than 15 minutes as water gushed into their submerged boat.

A bung in the stern of the boat had accidentally been pulled out.

Richard Beaumont, 48, said: "The boat swamped with water and the engine cut out. It wasn't going to sink but it was a bit embarrassing."

Coastguards transferred the exhausted divers to chartered diving vessel Our Joy, which assisted in the rescue.

They were then escorted by a lifeboat, which towed the dingy, Deep Six II, back to Littlehampton.

A Littlehampton lifeboat spokesman said: "A few of the divers were quite tired and suffering from the elements when the lifeboat arrived."