A lone Medway yachtsman is happy to be back on dry land after sparking an extensive air and sea rescue operation.

The alert was raised after a passing motor cruiser, El Bravo II, came across an unoccupied 18ft yacht with its auxiliary engine running, near to the Red Sands Towers, Whitstable.

Whitstable lifeboat was launched to investigate and a search began for anyone who it was feared may have gone overboard.

The lifeboat was joined in the search by the Sheerness lifeboat, four police vessels, an RAF Sea King helicopter and the coastguard spotter plane.

After nearly an hour of searching the yachtsman and his tender were eventually found three miles from the yacht .

He was cold but otherwise uninjured. After being reunited with his yacht, he was taken under tow by the Sheerness lifeboat to Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey.

The yachtsman came from Medway and had been travelling back to the area when his tender broke adrift.

He attempted to recover the craft when it broke away from his yacht, and was left stranded with no means of communication.