by Sian Napier

A man of 64 who fell overboard from his yacht on Friday in near gale-force winds was rescued by Whitstable lifeboat.

The lifeboat crew found the 30-foot yacht drifting in the wind and tide with the man in the water at the stern.

Lifeboat helmsman Jon Carter said: "The man was secured to his yacht by a line attached to his lifejacket harness and his wife, who was on board, was unable to assist.

"Lifeboat crew member Tony Martin went on the yacht and kept hold of the man’s line to keep him as far out of the water and as near to the yacht as possible until we had manoeuvred the lifeboat to a position to recover him."

The man was cold and disorientated and had swallowed a lot of water. He was taken to Whitstable lifeboat station where paramedics were waiting, along with an ambulance, and was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate before being released later that evening.

Whitstable lifeboat operations manager Mike Judge said that Sheerness all-weather lifeboat was also sent to help by Thames Coastguard. They found the craft, with the man's wife still aboard, about three-quarters of a mile off Tankerton.

The man’s wife was suffering from seasickness so Whitstable lifeboat re-launched and brought her back to Whitstable.

Mr Judge added: "This service was carried out at the limit of Whitstable lifeboat’s capabilities and involved the station’s volunteer crew, tractor driver, launchers and shore personnel, all working in conjunction with the coastguard and ambulance to bring to a successful conclusion what could have been a much more serious incident in the true tradition of the RNLI."

The couple, from London, were on their way to Ramsgate.