A WAVE watcher was lucky not to be swept into the sea after a huge wave crashed over him at Newquay Harbour during Storm Austen on Friday afternoon.

The man was spotted climbing on top of the north quay wall while a friend filmed his antics at about 1pm.

Photographer Rob Booth believes the man might have been creating a social media post as he “diced with death.”

Two other people were spotted jumped off the north quay into the harbour.

Mr Booth said: “The man was being an absolute idiot. A wave caught him, and he was lucky not to washed over the wall.

“It looked like he was filming the waves on his phone and another lad was filming him. There were two others jumping off the wall into the harbour.”

RNLI Lifeguards issued warnings to wave watchers ahead of Storm Austen.

Lewis Timson, the lead lifeguard supervisor for the RNLI in Newquay, said: “Please respect the conditions, listen to safety advice and look out for one another. We love our coastline, but it’s not worth putting yourself at risk for a closer look at the waves.

“The RNLI recommend water users to visit a lifeguarded beach. If observing storm conditions do so from a place of safety away from the waters edge and if you see someone in difficulty dial 999 and ask for the coastguard. Stay safe.”