Rescuers had a busy weekend on the water as they responded to kayakers and surfers who got into difficulty.

The RNLI and HM Coastguard were called to a spate of incidents in a matter of hours on Sunday.

Kayakers, windsurfers and kite surfers all got into difficulties in the sea at Shoreham and Lancing.

The string of emergencies started with a kayak which capsized at 11am while fishing at the entrance of Shoreham Harbour. 

The kayaker managed to self-right themselves and was recovered by a Shoreham Sailing Club safety boat.

Then at 2.15pm a National Coastwatch Institute (NCI) watchkeeper spotted a windsurfer “struggling to make any headway” in Shoreham.

The Argus: A fishing vessel assisted a windsurfer who got into difficultyA fishing vessel assisted a windsurfer who got into difficulty (Image: NCI Shoreham)

Both Shoreham Port and HM Coastguard were informed and the coastguard requested assistance from a local fishing vessel, which towed the windsurfer toward the beach.

This was followed with a kite surfer and kayaker who were struggling off the coast of Lancing at 4.30pm.

A Shoreham RNLI lifeboat was launched and helped them to shore, where they were looked after by the coastguard.

These incidents were reported by the Shoreham branch of the NCI, a charity which operates 60 stations around the coasts of England and Wales.

This year, the charity is celebrating its 30th anniversary.