VOLUNTEER lifeboat crewmen took a break from their regular Sunday morning exercise at Minehead to rescue a kayaker who was in danger of being swept down channel by one of the highest tides of the year.

The kayaker got into trouble after his fishing trip went wrong when he was caught out by the effects of a massive 11.6 metre tide.

The man had originally anchored his craft off Minehead’s old pier, but when the tide turned his anchor began to drag and he found himself unable to make headway against the ebb.

He ended up off Greenaleigh Point but luckily managed to attract the attention of the RNLI crew of the station’s D-class lifeboat who were in the area.

He and his boat were taken aboard and later landed on the beach near his home in Quay West.

Lifeboat helmsman Richard Gay said: “Conditions were fine when he went out but then the wind suddenly got up and that and fact that the tide was turning out much more strongly than he had expected left him in a bit of trouble.

“He was properly equipped for his trip but this just goes to show how quickly the combination of big tides and a sudden change in the weather can immediately put someone in danger.”

A further run of exceptionally high tides is forecast for the week-end of March 20-22, 2015.