by Lewis Dyson

A five-year-old boy has been taken to hospital with possible hypothermia after being rescued off the coast of Sheerness this afternoon.

A man and the youngster were rescued by Sheerness Lifeboat at 4.45pm after southwesterly force six winds blew their dinghy out to sea.

The Lifeboat launched at 4.26pm to initial reports of the inflatable craft drifting out near Tesco.

It arrived on the scene at 4.36pm where the dinghy had drifted nearly a quarter of a mile out to sea near the Catholic church.

A smaller vessel was monitoring the situation until the inshore lifeboat arrived.

The man and the boy were taken on to the boat and brought ashore at Sheppey Yacht Club where they were met by an ambulance and Sheppey Coastguard.

The child has been taken to hospital as a precaution.