A kite surfer is in a serious condition in hospital after being found unconscious and lying face down in water this afternoon.

A crew from the RNLI lifeboat station in Hunstanton discovered the 52-year-old from the Leicestershire area after helping another kite surfer around 2pm today.

He had suffered neck, back and arm injuries after a gust of wind lifted him up 20 foot before sending him crashing back into the sea.

Geoff Needham, from Hunstanton RNLI lifeboat station, said: 'We were called out at around 1.42pm to help a kite surfer in trouble just off the shore here at Hunstanton.

'He had managed to get back to shore but we went out to retrieve his kite, which was about a mile off-shore.

'As the crew were returning to the station, they spotted an object further along the coast which was right on the water's edge.

'They went to see what the object was and found it was a person lying face down in the water. He was unconscious so the crew attended to him straight away while an air ambulance and paramedics were called for.

'He was in a bad way when the crew found him. He was very lucky because if we hadn't been sent out to help the other kite surfer, we may not have seen this chap and he may not have survived.'

An East Anglian Air Ambulance landed on the beach but the man was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn by land ambulance.

Mr Needham added: 'He is on holiday here with his wife and they are staying locally. His wife said it was their first day in Hunstanton.'

A spokesman for the East Anglian Air Ambulance confirmed Anglia Two, based at Cambridge Airport, was called to Hunstanton at 2.30pm.

The spokesman added the kite surfer's condition is currently described as 'serious'.