Island Partnership worker Matt Rimmer has told of the moment he was battered by freezing waves after getting trapped by the rising tide.

Mr Rimmer, who comes from Staffordshire, had been at the Sid James Scooter Club Rally at the Little Groves holiday park and was heading home to Unity Street, Sheerness, on the picturesque coastal route.

He had been walking for more than three hours when the sea began encroaching and he found himself climbing over rocks near the foot of cliffs to avoid the water as it surged forward.

“I was going up and over rocks to try and get to safety,” he said.

He reached a point where he could go no further and ended up surrounded by sea on a grassy island.

But worse was to come as Mr Rimmer thought he was close to Minster Leas where he would be able to walk and decided to swim out to sea to get a better view of his position.

Matt said: “It was exhausting swimming in the strong current and the sea was freezing.

“I was hit by a big wave and went under and swallowed a lot of water.

“I decided to get back to the bank but it was a struggle and I must have been in the sea for about 25 minutes before I got to the land.”

Exhausted and shivering, Matt called the Coastguard from his mobile phone, which he had left on the bank.

He was rescued at 3pm by a helicopter returning to its RAF Wattisham base after a call-out at Southend-on-Sea.

Matt, who was safely back behind his desk on Monday, wants his story to act as a warning to others.

“I should have taken a lot more consideration of the dangers of coastline but I just took my safety for granted,” he said.

Sheppey Coastguard spokesman Ian Goodwin said that Matt was located about one mile east of Minster Leas and was winched to safety.

He said: “This incident could have had tragic consequences. Walking along the beach might seem like a short cut home to some, but if you are intending on doing so you should always be aware of the hazards in the area, and check the tide times before you set out.”