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Beach walker trapped by 'massive sucker punch' wave
11 Feb
Summary
- A gardener was trapped by a high tide and huge waves near Seven Sisters.
- He was rescued by RNLI volunteers after contacting coastguard via radio.
- The incident highlighted the dangers of spring tides and the importance of checking times.
A routine walk along the Sussex coast became a fight for survival for gardener Chris Haffenden last Thursday. While walking between Seven Sisters and Birling Gap, near Seaford, a sudden, exceptionally high tide and large waves trapped the 44-year-old against the cliffs.
Haffenden described the experience as a "massive sucker punch of freezing wet water," finding himself knee-deep in the surging sea. He realized too late it was a spring tide, something he had never fully understood the danger of until this incident. With no phone reception, his only recourse was a radio he carried in his bag to contact the coastguard.
