A MAN is in hospital tonight after he was pulled from the sea by a member of the public in Harwich this evening.

A MAN is in hospital tonight after he was pulled from the sea by a member of the public in Harwich this evening.

A member of the public dragged the man, believed to be aged between 30 and 40, from the sea at Stone Pier at about 7.53pm.

The casualty's wife then called the coast guard for help.

Harwich inshore Lifeboat and Walton coast guard were dispatched to the scene along with Essex ambulance and police.

The man was located about half way along Stone Pier, but weather conditions were “hazardous” and made it very difficult for him to be transferred onto the lifeboat.

Crews carried the man ashore with the help of the coast guard and managed to get him up to the waiting ambulance.

A spokesman for Walton coast guard said the man was “drifting in and out of consciousness” and the full extent of his injuries was not known at the time.

“We are not entirely sure how he ended up in the sea,” he said. “We think he slipped off, it is very treacherous there due to the large amount of sea weed on the pier.”

The casualty was taken by ambulance to Colchester General Hospital at about 8.45pm.