A swimmer stung by jellyfish while in the sea had to be rescued by lifeboat crews.

The man, who had been drinking, was suffering with injuries and signs of hypothermia after getting into difficulty and was being swept out to sea off the Margate coast.

Teams from Margate RNLI and the Coastguard were called to rescue the man who was drifting out into open water from the harbour.

The inshore lifeboat launched to pick the man up from the water. He was given treatment for the stings at the lifeboat station and checked over by paramedics.

The coastguard has issued a warning about the dangers of entering the water after drinking alcohol.

A spokesman for Margate Coastguard said: "The person had been drinking and was tired and cold but had also suffered some jellyfish stings.

"We cannot stress enough that drinking and water do not mix."

Peter Barker, deputy launching authority for Margate RNLI, said: “While we are experiencing a warm spell of weather the sea remains relatively cold.

"We urge swimmers to swim parallel to and close to the shore and not directly out to sea."

The RNLI runs a campaign called Respect the Water offering advice about staying afloat and what to do in an emergency which includes waving your arms and shouting for help. People on the shore who see anything suspicious are urged to call 999 and ask for the coastguard.

Find out more about the campaign via the RNLI's website.

For all the forecasts, warnings and weather related news, click here.

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