Rescued international student returns to thank Newhaven RNLI lifeboat crew

An international student from China has returned to the Newhaven RNLI station to present volunteer crew members with a specially made Chinese flag after they rescued him from a rising tide, Sussex.News, RNLI, and SussexWorld reported. Zeyang Li was studying in London when he was saved from beneath the Seven Sisters cliffs in May 2026. [1][2][3]

According to Sussex.News, Li and a companion became trapped along the Sussex coastline while walking beneath the cliffs. The pair had followed a recommendation on Chinese social media for a beach walk that claimed it would take under an hour, but the post failed to account for the incoming tide. [1]

Newhaven Lifeboat Station is located on the west bank of the River Ouse in East Sussex on the south coast of the United Kingdom. The harbour opens directly into the English Channel. [5]

Li visited the volunteer lifeboat crew in person to express his gratitude and deliver the custom gift following the successful rescue operation. [1][2][3]