DRAMATIC new pictures have emerged of the lifesaving rescue of a woman by an RNLI crew.

The woman was rescued from the sea at Saltburn on Friday afternoon after being spotted in difficulty in the water.

The alarm was raised at 1pm by Cleveland Police, who had been called to an area of the promenade near Hazel Grove.

The woman had been seen in the surf, with sea breaking over her.

An RNLI crew from Redcar was sent to the scene.

Helmsman Mark Reeves said: ‘We found the lady in a very difficult position. She was up to her neck in water and the sea was breaking over her.

‘We decided the best option was for my two crew members to jump in and get her straight to the beach."

The two RNLI crew members held the woman in the surf until they were able to get her close to the beach and were helped by police officers to pull the woman from the sea. She was treated by ambulance crews before being taken to hospital for further treatment.

Dave Cocks, lifeboat operations manager at Redcar RNLI, said: "The crew undoubtedly saved the woman’s life today. She was in a dire situation and wouldn’t have survived much longer in those conditions.

"She owes her life to the skill of the helmsman and the courage of the two crew who jumped into the sea to rescue her."