An RNLI lifeguard and Kent Police PCSO have been given bravery awards for the dramatic rescue of a man swept out to sea at Broadstairs.

The Divisional Commander’s Certificate of Merit was awarded to RNLI lifeguard supervisor Nick Ayers and PCSO Alex Walker for “outstanding bravery and professionalism” during a rescue last summer.

It was awarded by the Thanet Community Safety Partnership during a ceremony at Margate’s Winter Gardens.

Alex was on his first day of patrol in his newly-created role as a combined Police Community Support Officer and RNLI-trained lifeguard when he spotted an exhausted swimmer in trouble off Viking Bay in July.

He called for assistance over the radio and then swam out with a rescue tube to the man in distress. At the same time, lifeguard Nick grabbed one of the charity’s rescue boards and paddled more than 100m out to the swimmer.

Alex said: “The man was exhausted when we got there. He said he had been hit by a large wave and swallowed water which meant he couldn’t get his breath back enough to swim.

“The current was very strong. It was certainly an eventful way to mark my first day patrolling the beaches of Thanet.”

Once the rescuers had calmed the man down, they helped him get on the rescue board and Nick paddled the swimmer back to land.

The man had swallowed a lot of water but suffered no injuries and made a full recovery.

Nick said: “The current was simply too strong for the man to swim against and he quickly found himself being swept out to sea with no way of getting back to shore.

“It was a good piece of teamwork by everyone involved and I’m really pleased that the rescue has been recognised with this award.”

The certificate of merit described Nick and Alex’s actions as “an excellent example of commitment and excellent teamwork that has undoubtedly saved a life”.

It also described the pair as showing “outstanding bravery and professionalism”.

Thanet RNLI lifeguard manager James Uren said: “We’re all incredibly proud of Nick and Alex for a job well done.”