A kayaking accident could have ended in tragedy at the weekend.

Maryport Inshore and Whitehaven Coastguard rescue were both called to an incident near Allonby where a person was found clinging to a kayak.

The person, who has not been identified, had been attempting to recover an inflatable dinghy when the kayak overturned.

Maryport Rescue station manager Mike Messenger said: "We, and Whitehaven, were called out by Belfast at about 3.15 on Sunday afternoon.

“We responded quickly and, on the way to the scene, saw the dinghy blowing down the Solway and rescued it.”

They arrived on the scene of the callout to find a person clinging to the kayak.The person received treatment for exhaustion at the scene.

“We want to thank the people who altered us. Without them the situation could have been very different,” said Mr Messenger, while also warning of the dangers of the sea.

He added: “We would also like to take the opportunity to warn anyone visiting the shore / beaches in the area, of the dangers of tides, changing weather conditions.”