A man was stabbed and thrown overboard into a river during a fight on a boat.

Lifeboat crews from Littlehampton launched last night after the victim called them on his mobile phone.

They found him sheltered in a boat, shivering with cold and nursing a stab wound to his arm, in Littlehampton Harbour.

A lifeboat spokesman said: "We had a report of a man who had been thrown into the river at 10.48pm.

"The lifeboat looked for him for 20 minutes and found him taking shelter in a boat.

"He was in the early stages of hypothermia."

Police have confirmed the victim was involved in a fight on his boat with another man. He was taken to hospital suffering a minor stab wound.

A 32-year-old man from Littlehampton has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of cannabis.