Kayaker rescued after being blown out to sea

A kayaker has been rescued after he was blown out to sea off the Dorset coast and became separated from his watercraft.

The alarm was raised on Friday afternoon when the man disappeared from view, heading towards Old Harry Rocks, near Studland.

Following a search, RNLI lifeboat crews found the inflatable kayak and the man, who had drifted away from the vessel.

Once ashore, the casualty, who was cold and had ingested water, was taken to hospital by a waiting ambulance.

Poole lifeboat volunteer Jonathan Clark said: "Thankfully the first informant quickly alerted the coastguard when they saw the kayaker being blown offshore and out of sight.

"He was very lucky to be found on that leg of the search, as the weather conditions were exceptionally cold, the outcome could have been very different."

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