Emergency crews battled winds of more than 50mph to rescue people stranded on the River Medway.

The Thames coastguard received two 999 calls, 11 minutes apart on Friday afternoon.

The first call, at 3.43pm, was from a man who had become stranded in a dinghy on Nor Marsh.

The RNLI Sheerness Inshore Lifeboat was dispatched but the crew could not get close enough to the boat because the tide was too low.

With the onset of darkness and falling tide, the RAF rescue helicopter was scrambled to try and evacuate the man.

The 23-year-old was eventually airlifted and landed ashore at Riverside Country Park in Rainham at about 6pm, where he was met by the Medway coastguard team.

At 3.54pm, the Thames coastguard received the second call regarding an inflatable dinghy with two people on board which was drifting in Gillingham Reach.

The 20-year-old men had got out of their boat and tried to get to the shore but unable to make it, returned to the dinghy.

The Medway coastguard kept the men under observation until they could be rescued but lost communication with them when their mobile phone battery ran out.

The duo were eventually rescued by the Medway Ports Authority’s harbour tug.

They were returned safely to shore at Chatham Dockyard at about 5pm where they were met by the coastguard.

An ambulance was also called to the scene because the men had started to suffer from mild hypothermia but they did not need hospital treatment.

Richard Rodgers, deputy station manager for Medway coastguard, said: "In both these cases the men had gone out ill prepared for the weather. They had no life jackets or safety equipment and not enough warm clothing.

"I would stress to anyone how important it is to be prepared if you are going to go out on the water in these conditions; read the tides, make sure you have all the necessary safety equipment and a fully charged mobile phone."