A kite surfer has paid tribute to the work of a Walmer Lifeboat crew after he was rescued after becoming entangled in his rigging.
Many visitors to the seafront raised the alarm after seeing the man in trouble just north of Deal Pier.
Andy Roberts, the RNLI volunteer press officer at Walmer, said the emergency services had numerous 999 calls about the surfer, who was visiting east Kent from his home in London.
Mr Roberts added: “When the lifeboat arrived the casualty was in the water with his leg heavily tangled in the rigging of the kite and he was unable to help himself.
“The lifeboat got him and his equipment on board and took him to the beach by Sandown Castle where the crew spent more than an hour disentangling the lines that were wrapped around his leg.
“He was extremely grateful and very aware he could not have got back to safety unaided.”