A LIFEBOATMAN who survived 35 minutes in storm-lashed seas will reflect today on what he describes as the most terrifying experience of his life.

Robbie Maiden was thrown into the North Sea when the Hartlepool lifeboat, The Scout, capsized as it went to the aid of the oil tanker Freja Svea, which had ran aground off the coast of Redcar ten years ago today.

The lifeboat, which was tossed about by 40ft waves and gales gusting up to 50mph, went over twice on its way to help the 97,000-tonne Danish-owned tanker.

Mr Maiden, 35, was one of seven crew on The Scout that night.

He remembers attempting to clip his safety harness to the deck rail and, in the same moment, being hit by a huge wave.

He recalls: "The weather was atrocious that night. There were 30ft to 40ft waves, snow and sleet, it was just horrible. I saw this huge wave rise up from nowhere and the next thing I knew I was in the sea.

"After about 20 minutes or so I could no longer feel my arms or legs as they had frozen up. I knew I was in trouble. I was really terrified.

"I spent most of the time underwater, trying to take breaths when I could get to the surface."

As Mr Maiden was in the water, The Scout, which had righted itself, zig-zagged the area searching for him.

"The boat had gone 300 or 400 yards down tide of me and there was no way they were going to see me," said Mr Maiden.

"I was only a head sticking out of the water among such big waves. The boat kept passing me and I waved and shouted, but they didn't see me.

"I remember going through in my head what had happened, praying no one else was in the water, and trying to figure out a way of getting out of the situation."

He was eventually winched aboard an RAF air-sea rescue helicopter, which had arrived from Humberside. He was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital, where he was treated for shock and hypothermia.

Remarkably, the ordeal did not put Mr Maiden off going to see and he has now been a member of the lifeboat service for 20 years.

He said: "It is like falling off a horse - you just have to get straight back into the saddle. It is my job to help people - it is just human nature to help out."