A soldier who slipped on some rocks and broke his leg has thanked rescuers who came to his aid after he staggered for two hours to get help.

Tim Robinson, now 56 and of the Territorial Army, was staying in Seatown on holiday when he slipped on rocks and staggered for more than two hours, and around three-quarters of a mile, in the dark before he was found by the lifeboat crew and coastguards near Golden Cap in January two years ago.

He fashioned walking sticks out of driftwood and hauled himself over mudslides along the beach after suffering two fractures to his right leg.

Tim’s parents, Anne and Noel Robinson, are members of the Wednesday coffee club at Etwall in Derbyshire and when the club decided to nominate the RNLI as their charity for 2018, they suggested a donation to the Dorset volunteers. A similar sum was sent to the RNLI team at Exmouth, which had hosted a visit from the club.

Member sent a donation of more than £700 to the RNLI volunteers in Lyme Regis.

William Stainer, chairman of the City of Derby fundraising branch of the RNLI, gave a talk to the coffee club and received the donation and Tim Robinson spoke of his gratitude to his rescuers.

During the rescue, two first-aid trained members of the lifeboat crew, Tom Crabbe and Tom Wallis, went ashore to help coastguards assess Mr Robinson’s condition.

The lifeboat crew later took Mr Robinson to a waiting ambulance at Lyme Regis harbour, which took him to Dorset County Hospital.

Nick Marks, lifeboat operations manager at Lyme Regis, said: “We were delighted to hear of this donation from RNLI supporters so far from the sea and we are pleased to hear that Mr Robinson has recovered from his ordeal.”