'We would have died without RNLI rescuers'

Alex Hodson said he was very scared, as he could see the beach, but could not get back to shore

A man believes he and his friend's son would have died if a lifeboat crew had not reached them when they did after the pair got marooned at sea.

The boy and Alex Hodson, of Staffordshire, were saved by RNLI volunteers in Conwy after getting caught out by the tide.

"I just got to the point where I thought, 'this is it, I'm going to drown'," said Mr Hodson, whose niece was able to get back to shore.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has revealed its crews and lifeguards saved 355 lives in 2023.

'I had nothing left'

Mr Hodson, of Eccleshall, had walked out to sea for a swim with his niece and a friend's child in September 2022 on a "calm and beautiful day."

But he said when they turned around, they realised they were "surrounded by water," and the strength of the current meant he could not swim against it.

His niece managed to get back to the beach to raise the alarm, but Mr Hodson said he was "exhausted," out of his depth, and "giving everything" to keep himself and his friend's son afloat.

"It was a huge relief when I saw the boat coming towards us," said Mr Hodson, who is backing a fundraising campaign for the charity in its 200th year.

"I had nothing left, physically or mentally - without the crew, we wouldn't have survived."

It was a "huge relief" when the RNLI crew arrived, said Mr Hodson

The pair were taken back to Conwy lifeboat station, warmed up and taken to hospital, where they were discharged later that day, said the RNLI.

The charity has urged people to take part in its Mayday Mile campaign, to raise money by covering a mile a day during the month of May.

"This year, the RNLI has been saving lives at sea for 200 years," said Pete Emmett from the charity.

"We’re now coming up to our busiest time of year, so we’re putting out our call for help to raise the funds which will help keep our lifesaving service going today and into the future."