Pictures: 'Idiot' risks life in Cornwall sea 15ft waves during St Jude storm

A man has been branded an "idot" after risking his life in the name of thrill-seeking by wading into the sea at Porthleven in Cornwall during the St Jude storm.

The man opened his arms to welcome 15ft waves in pictures that were taken by shocked onlooker Keith Richards.

The move seemed all the more thoughtless as it came just 24 hours after 14-year-old Dylan Alkins was swept away while playing on Newhaven beach in East Sussex.

According to the Daily Mail, Mr Richards said: "I couldn't believe it. My first reaction was, 'What an idiot'. He could easily have got into trouble.

"It was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Other people said exactly the same to me."

The man has been blasted by the RNLI who said not only was he risking his own life, but also those of the emergency services.

James Millidge, RNLI regional community incident reduction manager, told This Is Cornwall: "Taking to the sea in such challenging conditions and with inappropriate clothing is not only foolish but extremely dangerous for you and for those RNLI volunteers who may have to come and rescue you if the sea washes you away.

"The sea is far more powerful than you think and your chances of survival are slim if you are dragged away by the swell."

He said the man could have drowned, died from cold water shock or could even have been battered on to rocks by the huge waves.

He added: "We understand why people want to experience extreme weather, but we would urge folk to watch the conditions from a safe distance so we don't have to put our charity's volunteer lifeboat teams in danger, or those of our colleagues in other emergency services who may ultimately be called to try and rescue you."

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