RNLI lifeguards at Thurlestone rushed to assist a middle aged man on Monday after he fell of a rock and severely injured his back.

After the incident they were presented with a donation of £110 which members of the public had collected on the beach.

RNLI lifeguards were alerted by a member of the public that the man had fallen 15-foot off a rock and onto his back.

Lifeguard Supervisor Jack Ellis and lifeguard Holly Molesworth responded on their rescue boards as the man had been cut off by the tide, while lifeguard Sam Sheridan continued to patrol the bathing area. Jack and Holly paddled 600m and reached the casualty within three minutes. Jack said: ‘When we reached the man we discovered he was conscious but in extreme pain. Myself and Holly administered oxygen while reassuring the injured man.’

The lifeguards called the Coastguard, which sent additional emergency services to help.

Once the emergency team arrived, paramedics took over the treatment of the casualty and transported him to hospital.

As members of the public watched the incident unfold a group of people on the beach managed to raise an amazing £110 for both the RNLI and the emergency services.

The RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign is running throughout the summer.

To find out more about the dangers of the coast and how to stay safe, visit www.rnli.org/respectthewater or search #RespectTheWater on social media.