A man has been rescued by the Sumner Lifeboat crew this morning offshore from Moncks Bay.

A police spokeswoman told Chris Lynch emergency services received information at about 11.30am that a kayaker was in difficulty. 

Sumner Lifeboat president Blair Quane said the organisation received a call from a member of the public that a person had fallen out of their kayak near Shag Rock and was having difficulty getting back into it.

Mr Quane who lives on lower Moncks Bay Spur said he could see the situation unfolding.

“With the outgoing tide, he was getting swept out to sea.”

Mr Quane said thankfully a crew was available at the Sumner lifeboat station, as they had just finished a training session and were just packing up.

At about the same time they launched the rescue boat, the southerly weather struck and crews lost sight of the kayaker for a short time.

He said the kayaker’s accomplice had paddled back to South Shore to raise the alarm.

When crews got to the man, he was without his kayak and was floating in the water.

The Sumner Lifeboat brought him ashore to the Moncks Bay Yacht Club where an ambulance was waiting.

Mr Quane said “the man is very lucky given he was in nine degrees water for up to 20 minutes, and with the wind chill factor and the southerly front, I don’t think he would have had a heck of a lot longer. He was definitely hypothermic. “

A St John Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed the man was in a serious condition and taken to Christchurch Hospital.