Eleven people on a fishing trip escaped with their lives when their boat was struck by two huge waves and sank in minutes.

They managed to inflate a life raft and leap on board just moments before the 26ft catamaran disappeared under the water.

Three fishing boats nearby picked up the Duke's mayday signal and came to help the stricken vessel, which was swamped by two large waves a mile and a half off the coast of Beachy Head.

Crew on the Birling Gap helped survivors on to their vessel while fishermen on the Lizzy Jo and the crew on The Panther managed to tie a rope to the catamaran's bow, just visible in the sea.

The chartered catamaran, thought to be worth about £60,000, was eventually towed by The Panther back to the beach six hours after the sinking at 9am on Saturday.

Members from Eastbourne Angling Association also took their club boats out to help.

RNLI Coxswain Mark Sawyer, of Eastbourne Lifeboat Association, said he heard the mayday call on his radio as he was driving to the dry cleaners.

He said sea conditions were moderate but there had been a heavy swell.

He said: "The boat was swamped by a couple of large waves which flooded it. The pumps couldn't deal with the water so it started to sink.

"The skipper put out a mayday call on the radio which was picked up by Solent and Dover Coastguards and luckily overheard by a couple of fishing boats in the area. They were sinking very fast. They had to inflate their life raft and as the boat was sinking the ten anglers jumped onto it. Just as the boat was going under the skipper managed to leap on the raft.

"I was listening to the radio as it was happening and it all happened literally in five minutes, if that.

"The Birling Gap skipper got the life raft alongside his boat and as we were alerted by Dover Coastguards to launch, he managed to get them from the life raft onto his fishing vessel one by one and waited for us to arrive."

The lifeboat brought the group back to Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, where they were given hot drinks.

Nobody was injured or suffering from shock, although they were shaken by the ordeal.

Dover Coastguards watch manager Gary Brown said the area is a busy fishing zone so it was not unusual so many boats were able to respond so quickly.

He said: "We heard a weak mayday message stating they were taking to a life raft. Both ourselves and Solent Coastguards responded because it was on the edge of our areas but it ended up being in ours so we took on the arrangements.

"We tasked a lifeboat to the area which picked up the survivors and there was no requirement for a helicopter.

"They were quite lucky but it is a populated area. Nobody was hurt and there was no need for medication."

Maritime law states vessels near a stricken boat must respond to its mayday call.