Bravery award recommendations are in train for a young man and 15-year-old woman after a dramatic rescue off Eastbourne late last night.
The pair were called to the beach at Burden's Gate when a mate's car got stuck in sand, they then heard yells for help from a man in the water about 50 metres out to sea.
Senior Sergeant Andre Kowalczyk says they plunged into the water, by the time they reached the man he was under the water and unconscious.
They brought him back to shore and got a heartbeat back with CPR.
"One of them, the guy, wasn't a particularly strong swimmer. The fact that he dived into night time sea, swam out and put his own life at risk to save another is an extremely heroic effort."
He says it's remarkable the trio, which includes a 15-year-old girl, were there in the first place.
He says if the man hadn't forgotten his phone, and the other two hadn't gone to the beach to help get a car out of the sand, the outcome could have been different.
Police are appealing for information to identify the rescued man, who's described as Indian in his mid-20s to mid-30s.
The man's in hospital in a serious condition and police are trying to work out who he is.
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