A MAN was plucked from the North Sea after he fell overboard from a pleasure craft off the Northumberland coast.

The man's wife raised the alarm and the Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Lifeboat and the rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer were scrambled.

He was pulled from the sea by the lifeboat and taken ashore then flown by helicopter the short distance to Wansbeck Hospital, near Ashington, where he is though to be in a poorly condition.

A spokesman for the Tyne Tees Coastguard said the incident happened at about 3.15pm yesterday afternoon.

He said: "The man was in the water for about 15 to 30 minutes. His wife is in a very traumatic state.''