A Brighouse firefighter was plucked from the North Sea by a lifeboat crew after he got into trouble while windsurfing in high winds.

The 41-year-old man’s life was saved by members of Redcar RNLI 24 hours after the same lifeboat was called to fishing boats which had capsized in heavy surf on the same stretch of coastline.

The crew of lifeboat was diverted from a routine training exercise shortly after 11am yesterday after being alerted to a windsurfer in difficulties offshore from Saltburn in winds gusting to force nine at times.

After searching the originally reported position of the windsurfer, he was eventually picked up by the lifeboat further down the coast, close to the point of Huntcliff.

Helmsman Cameron Bond said: “By the time we picked him up he was completely exhausted. He looked like he though he was a goner.”

The man was said to be uninjured but very tired by his ordeal. The rescued man has not been named.