A FISHERMAN had to be plucked from the water after being swept into the mouth of a river as strong winds battered the North-East coastline.

The incident sparked a dramatic helicopter search after the man was spotted struggling to keep himself above water in the River Tees at South Gare, near Redcar.

A member of the public raised the alarm at about 4pm yesterday and a nearby police helicopter hovered above the man to help a lifeboat crew locate him.

Members of the Redcar RNLI lifeboat pulled the man from the water and carried out CPR on the fisherman.

An RAF Sea King helicopter, which had been dispatched to the scene of the incident, winched the stricken man from the boat before flying him to The James Cook University Hospital for treatment.

Dave Cocks, of Redcar RNLI, said: “A member of the public called the police and the police helicopter happened to be close so it hovered over the gentleman until the lifeboat took him out the water.

“Volunteers from Hartlepool and Redcar RNLI did CPR on him. The casualty was taken to the Tees Dock nearby and an RAF Sea King from RAF Leconfield came and winched him from the boat.”

A Coastguard spokesman added: “The Redcar lifeboat, through the police helicopter, spotted the person floating face down in the water and the Redcar lifeboat picked the casualty up out of the water and started working on him straight away.

“He was then airlifted to James Cook University Hospital where the crash team were waiting at the hospital once the helicopter arrived.

“At this time the sea conditions around here are terrible.

There’s a strong southeast swell running at the moment.

The swell where the guy was about three metres.

“The lifeboat did a great job picking him out of the water in such a tricky situation.”