Rescue teams at RAF Leconfield celebrated their 5,000th mission last month, so Hull Daily Mail reporter Jessica Boulton decided to try and gain an insight into their vital lifesaving work.

She spent the day with a four-man crew, who told her all about their job, and she even underwent a 'rescue' herself.

To show Jessica what a rescue can involve, the crew decided to winch her from the sand at Church Bay, near Bridlington, and into the air using a singular wire suspended from the helicopter.

She said: "Hanging 75 feet in the air, I look down and see the waves crashing below.

"With one strap under my shoulder blades and another under my knees, I was at the mercy of the team, hanging on to the wire with all my strength."

But the rescue wasn't to go without a hitch, and for a split second, her stomach was firmly in her throat.

She said: "As we neared safety, the gale from the rotor blades threw my head back, giving me a view of the nearby cliff face.

"To me, this was an extraordinary brush with death. To the members of E-flight 202 Squadron of RAF Leconfield, it was simply good practice.

"After being winched, I felt I had had my share of such experiences.

"After touchdown at Leconfield, it was time for me to leave them to their night's work.

"With a wave, they flew off and I vowed to keep my feet on the ground."

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