Littlehampton Wave Life Saving Club and Horsham Life Saving Club take trophies after impressing judges with their ability to handle an emergency

Littlehampton Wave Life Saving Club members and Horsham Life Saving Club members were competing against each other and teams from Beacon Life Saving Club in Crowborough.

The pairscompetition was organised by the Sussex branch of the Royal Life Saving Society and held at Windlesham House School, north of Worthing, on Sunday, October 16.

David Slade, chairman at Littlehampton Wave Life Saving Club and teacher at Horsham Life Saving Club, said: "In the first event, each pair in turn came on poolside from security and had 90 seconds to deal with the same simulated water-based incident, in which four people were in difficulty in the water, whilst confronted with a panicking bystander.

"The following three events, all against the clock, were a 25m swim, to retrieve a water-filled manikin and tow 25m back, a 2 x 25m swim negotiating an underwater obstacle in both directions and then a rope throw rescue, 10m for juniors and 12m for seniors."

Sophia Hendey and Tassia Wormald, the Littlehampton Wave team, won the junior girls, with Eve Townsley and Holly Clarke from Horsham in second place.

Kate Hall and daughter Hari Hall, the Horsham team, won the senior ladies.

Jude Morris and Jack Bristow from Littlehampton Wave won the senior men's event, with Sam Clarke and Bo Cirillo from Horsham in second place.

Presentations were made by RLSS Sussex branch president John Stainer, David Slade and Paula Schofield from Crawley Town Life Saving Club.

David said: "The trophy shield for the Sussex senior men's event is one of the oldest life-saving competition trophies in the UK and dates back to 1897. It has been competed for every year, save the World War One and World War Two years."