The helmsman has worked for the RNLI for 20 years

Michael Farline, 41, from Filey, is to receive the honour at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) annual awards on Thursday.

He rescued the pair from their sinking boat despite gale-force winds and high waves in August.

Mr Farline said it was an honour for him and his station.

Danger spot

He added: "It's also for the other lads as well in my crew at the same time."

Mr Farline described how he, Stuart Lane and Francis Speak Jnr got a call from the Humber coastguard to search for a girl in difficulties at Reighton Sands - a well-known danger spot for swimmers.

The next thing we knew, we were grounded on the bank, that's when we thought we were capsizing. Michael Farline

The crew was also told an adult was reported to be in the water.

Mr Farline said: "When we got there we saw a lady on a body board and we saw a girl getting buffeted by the breaking sea.

"The girl was our priority and we went to pick her up."

The teenager had been balancing dangerously on a small sandbank and was in danger of being washed away.

After one failed attempt to get hold of the girl, the crew dragged her on board but they had taken in a lot of water from the high seas with waves up to four-metres high.

Mr Farline said: "The next thing we knew, we were grounded on the bank, that's when we thought we were capsizing.

"We took three or four big waves which seemed to push us off and we were able to manoeuvre the boat to pick up the woman hanging on to the board."

The crew then beached the boat on the nearby shore leading the rescued pair, who were uninjured, to safety.