A MAN had to be rescued by a lifeboat launch after he fell ill while out sailing his boat.

The man had been on his 25ft catamaran, named Pelican, when he ran into trouble at about 3.50pm in the mouth of the River Orwell.

The man, who was the only person on the boat at the time, began experiencing abdominal pains and made contact with his partner on the shore, who in turn contacted the emergency services.

The Harwich lifeboat was sent out to assist and towed the vessel back towards Levington Marina, near Ipswich, where an ambulance was waiting.

A coastguard spokesman said: “He was in the entrance to the River Orwell at the time and the Harwich all-weather lifeboat was launched and got alongside the catamaran and towed it towards Levington.

“An ambulance was waiting and the chap was taken off to Ipswich Hospital.”