Storm Ciara: Surfer declared missing in high winds after board washes up on beach, only for him to swim ashore 5 miles away

Two lifeboats and helicopter were unable to find man who later swam ashore and is now recovering in hospital

A surfer who was declared missing in Hastings after his surfboard washed ashore amid the high winds and waves whipped up by Storm Ciara has been found alive after he managed to swim ashore at a beach more than five miles further east.

The man, whose name has not been released, was surfing at Rock-a-Nore in Hastings, which is directly in front of the lifeboat station and protected by the harbour arm.

However, the alarm was raised when his board was recovered but there was no sign of him in the water.

Two lifeboats and a helicopter were dispatched to try and find him, but had no success, amid waves reportedly over 3m (10 ft) high.

He eventually came ashore on the beach at Pett Level – a small settlement along a stretch of beach over five miles to the east of Hastings.

The route would have taken him along an uninhabited coastline largely composed of uncompromising cliffs, before he reached the western edge of Rye Bay.

“It’s a fair old distance to be without your board,” the press officer for Hastings Lifeboat Station Clive Mayhew told The Independent.

“The helicopter then landed there and he went to William Harvey hospital [in Ashford] for a checkover, and apparently he’s ok.”

When the lifeboat tried to return to Hastings, a large wave almost capsized the vessel. The incident was captured in spectacular footage taken at Rock-a-Nore beach in Hastings by Paul Hogg.

He told The Independent: “I saw them launch the lifeboat and was there when they were trying to retrieve it afterwards.

“They had four or five attempts at retrieving [it] but abandoned the retrieval because of the sea conditions, it was too dangerous.”

The lifeboat was then taken to Eastbourne harbour where it will be moored overnight.

“The weather was the worst I have seen in a very long time. The swirl of the sea was enormous. There is no way that surfer should have been out there,” Mr Hogg said.

Speaking about the conditions the lifeboat crew faced, Mr Mayhew added: “When the boat came back and came round to the harbour, it went right over and nearly capsized. All the crew are ok.”

“It’s what we do really. Whatever the circumstances where someone ends up in the sea, that is what we’re designed to help with.

“But when you see the footage [of the boat] it is amazing that no-one was hurt – as far as I’m aware, that was the case on the boat.

“They would have been strapped in and had helmets on, so they can walk away from something like that.”