October 13th, 2026.


Image: RNLI
In May this year, Zeyang Li, an international student from China, who was studying in London, was saved by the volunteer crew at Newhaven RNLI, when he and his companion were cut off by the tide near the cliffs at Seven Sisters. Last month, he returned to the station to thank the crew.

Zeyang had seen a post online, which raved about a beach walk under the cliffs, that said could be completed in under an hour. The post, which was on Chinese social media, made no reference to or warning of the risk of tidal cut off.

The pair had been walking for well under an hour, when the tide suddenly came up and cut off their safe route back.

"We knew we couldn’t walk off the beach safely, so we had to think of other solutions. We had no phone reception, so we used the flash on my camera to make SOS signals out to sea," Zeyang explained.

Fortunately a boat saw their distress call and raised the alarm with HM Coastguard, who tasked Newhaven RNLI to save them.

In September, Zeyang returned to Newhaven’s lifeboat station to thank crew members Dan, Kath, Steve and Rich , for saving his life. "It’s a Chinese tradition to gift a flag or Jin Qi to someone who has saved your life, such as a doctor. It’s less common in the digital age, but I thought it would be a nice way of showing my gratitude to the volunteer crew at Newhaven," said Zeyang.

Zeyang had the ornate red flag, which has a golden fringe and tassels, specially made in China, and the embroidered font reads: To Newhaven Lifeboats… No deed is greater than saving a life, in English and Chinese characters. It now hangs proudly at the lifeboat station.

There is a high risk of tidal cut off in the Birling Gap and Seven Sisters area this week, until Thursday the 15th of October. If you're planning to walk, paddle, or paraglide along the coastline over the next few days, be aware that high tides will increase the risk of getting cut off by the rising tide.

- Always check the forecast and tides before you set out.

- Let someone know your plans.

- Carry a means of communication.

- If you find yourself in the water, remember Float To Live.

- If you see someone in difficulty in the water, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.