The 35-year-old man, who had been drinking heavily, jumped 20ft from the balcony off the Shambles Bar and Restaurant in Market Place at around 5.50pm on Thursday.

Whitby's inshore lifeboat, coastguards and an ambulance were all alerted after the man, who is not thought to be local, leapt into the sea.

The lifeboat rescued the man after he was found sitting on a pipe just above the surface of the water, underneath Whitby boat house.

He was lifted on board and taken by ambulance to James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough where he was treated for minor injuries.

A spokesman for Humber Coastguard condemned the man's actions as foolhardy behaviour which can put the lives of rescuers at risk.

He said: "It is something we can do without. It's not a recommended thing to do.

"By virtue of the fact the man was taken to hospital with injuries proves, of course, it really isn't the thing to do.

"Don't even entertain going into the water when you are drunk."

Mike Russell, coxswain of Whitby lifeboat, and one of the three crew members called out to rescue the man said he had clearly been drinking and was fortunate to escape serious injury.

"He was drunk as a skunk, he couldn't even talk, nothing could have sobered him up," said Mr Russell.

"He was lucky because the tide was high; if it had been lower he could have broken his legs.

"There is also a risk of secondary drowning as the lungs detect salt water which can happen hours and hours later."

Mr Russell also said the man's drunken stunt had been waste of time because after every rescue operation the crew have to put the boat back together in preparation for the next incident.

Sgt Steve Pearse of Whitby Police said the man was lucky not to be seriously injured.

"This was obviously a resource-heavy operation and just goes to show the dangers associated with alcohol," he said.

"This man was very lucky to escape without serious injury."