A MAN has been rushed to hospital after getting in difficulty in Poole waters.

Lifeboats were launched to a mayday call late on Tuesday night following reports of a person in the water in the Lake yard area of Poole Harbour.

It was reported that a man was clinging onto a kayak and crying out for help.

His calls had been heard by two members of the public walking their dog, who then called for assistance.

RNLI volunteers quickly arrived on the scene and were guided by the dog walkers using their phone flashlights.

The man was found clinging onto a breakwater and “extremely cold” but there was no sign of a kayak.

The lifeboat crew took him onboard and began casualty care before returning with him to Poole RNLI lifeboat station.

There, other volunteers were on hand with blankets and the crew continued with casualty care administering oxygen and warming him up.

An ambulance arrived on scene and the casualty was passed into the care of the paramedics and taken to hospital.

The lifeboat was made ready for service by 12.30am.

RNLI Volunteer Helm Alex Evans has thanked the members of the public who called the incident in.

He said: “The casualty was extremely lucky, that the people passing heard his cries and alerted the coastguard, we are very grateful to them for standing by and guiding us in, the casualty was extremely cold, and they saved his life."