Kitesurfers who spotted a man in difficulty in the sea have been praised for rescuing a novice who could have drowned.

Southend Coastguard feared the worst when they came across a kite flapping on the water a mile offshore during a routine training exercise.

They immediately requested assistance from RNLI Southend Lifeboat and searched East and West Beach for the missing surfer.

Fortunately he had been found by two fellow kitesurfers who helped him to shore.

A spokesman for Southend Coastguard said: “We don’t know how far off the shore he was when he got into difficulties.

“The two kitesurfers who helped him did a great job in getting the guy back in, doing their best to assist him.

“They saved the day. It could have been an awful lot worse.

“When you see a kite on its own your first thought is, is someone is attached to it or in difficulty.”

Southend Coastguard was on a planned training assessment with Canvey Coastguard at 6.30pm on Monday when they suspended their exercise after spotting the kite.

The man was treated by paramedics at the beach for ingesting water and spoken to by the coastguard.

The spokesman said he advised all people looking to kitesurf off Southend to be trained properly beforehand.

He said: “There are kite schools at Shoebury and we would recommend anyone thinking about going out on the water to take some form of tuition first.

“It transpired the kitesurfer had borrowed a board, hired a kite and ventured out on to the water only to encounter difficulties.

“He was traced by coastguards at East Beach, was found to have ingested salt water and an ambulance and paramedic from East of England Ambulance Service attended and treated the casualty.

“This information was passed to the Lifeboat crew, who retrieved the kite, board and rigging.”