A man was rescued from the River Bure after falling from a boat near Stokesby – resulting in a two hour search.

The Winterton Coastguard Rescue Team and Hemsby Lifeboat were called to Stokesby, in Acle, after a passer-by spotted a boat adrift on Saturday night.

The Hemsby Broads Lifeboat launched from Stokesby slipway just before 11pm in search of the vessel – which was colliding with other moored boats in the area.

A lifeboat spokesman said: 'The vessel was found 1.5 miles east up the river with one intoxicated occupant asleep and a dog on board.

'After questioning, it became apparent that there was another member of the party that was not accounted for.'

A search party was then launched in a bid to find the missing man.

Fire crews from Acle and Carrow attended – but were held in reserve in case the need arose to use their thermal image camera.

After two hours the man was discovered laying in the water, in some reeds, by the lifeboat crew.

The spokesman added: 'Hemsby Lifeboat continued a search for the missing person, who had fallen off the boat, and was located in a distressed state in the water and among the reed beds of Calthorpe Marshes.

'He was boarded onto the Lifeboat and taken back to Stokesby for immediate first aid from a waiting ambulance.'

The man was then passed into the care of the ambulance and police service.

The lifeboat had returned to station by 3.15am.