A SCHOOLBOY has the intuition of an experienced life-boatman to thank for his life.

Twelve-year-old Chris Waites, from Redcar, east Cleveland, became trapped by the tide far from shore, near the town, while out on his bodyboard on Sunday.

At exactly the same time a lifeboat crew from the nearby Teesmouth station were rescuing a windsurfer who got into difficulties at South Gare, a mile off the River Tees.

Because 999 calls relating to both emergencies were coming in at the same time, the coastguard and lifeboat crew thought they were being called to rescue someone in the water they had already saved.

Luckily, Dave Cammish, of Redcar lifeboat station, was listening to events as they unfolded on his VHF radio at home.

He says he simply had a hunch that something was up because of the 999 calls that were still coming in after the Teesmouth crew had completed their rescue.

He scrambled the Redcar crew, which plucked the terrified youngster out of the water. Chris was taken to shore shocked, cold but otherwise unharmed.

Mr Cammish said Chris was lucky to be alive.