Coastguards have warned people against taking selfies near high waves after pictures emerged of a man risking his life to get a seaside storm snap.

The image shows the unidentified selfie-seeker stood on a narrow sea wall as a 12-foot wave crashes over his head in Scarborough.

Michael Knaggs, an amateur photographer who pictured the moment from the safety of high ground, said: “He hopped on to the sea wall and started taking a picture. I couldn't believe it.

"Two seconds later a big wave came down on him and I thought he'd gone, I was getting ready to call the coastguard. Then he walked away along the path and disappeared."

The 60-year-old added: "If he had gone in, the wash would have taken him out to sea and he wouldn't have survived.

"It would have taken the coastguard at least five minutes to get here and that would have been too long, I'm sure. I think he was lucky."

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A global study last year revealed that 259 people died taking selfies between 2011 and 2017 – with many of those deaths resulting from people falling from vantage points.

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “No picture or thrill is worth risking your life for.

“It only takes a few inches of fast-moving water to knock you from your feet and you being potentially swept into the sea.

"Once in the cold water, no matter how well you can swim, between cold shock and the action of the waves, survival time would likely only be a few minutes.

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"Sadly, as proven in the past, that’s not enough time for rescue teams to reach you and save you.”