A middle-aged man was rescued from the sea after a dramatic late-night rescue.

The man was pulled from the water by an RNLI lifeboat crew who found him floating face-up 30 metres from the shore and drifting out to sea.

The rescue happened on Monday near Neptune Jetty at Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey.

The Island's inshore lifeboat Buster was launched at 10.48pm after reports of a person in the water off the beach near the town's Catholic Church.

The crew reached the scene within four minutes and used torches to find the man.

RNLI spokesman Vic Booth said: "The casualty was quickly spotted, floating face upwards approximately 30 metres offshore and drifting on the strong ebb tide.

"The man was swiftly extracted from the water and landed ashore at 10.54pm where the lifeboat crew, along with the Sheppey Coastguard unit, administered oxygen and wrapped him in thermal blankets because he was extremely cold."

The rescuers helped stretcher the man along the seafront and down an access ramp to Marine Parade where an ambulance was waiting to take him to hospital.

The lifeboat crew returned to their base in Sheerness docks at 11.30pm.

Mr Booth added: "We have no information as to how or why the man was in the water but can only say that without the rapid response and expertise of the teams involved the outcome would have sadly been very different."

The sea at the time was calm with a force 3 wind.

Read more: All the latest news from Sheppey