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

Whitehaven Coastguard and Maryport 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. which we recovered..”

They arrived on the scene to find a person clinging to the kayak.

The person received treatment for exhaustion at the scene of the incident.

“We want to thank the people who alerted the Coastguard. Without them the situation could have been very different,” Mr Messenger said, adding: “Always be prepared and never hesitate to call for help,”

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.”