A MAN had to be rescued by lifeboat crews after attempting to swim across the River Blackwater in Essex.

The West Mersea lifeboat received a call at 7.53pm yesterday evening from the man’s girlfriend.

She said he had attempted to swim across the river but had got into difficulty and she had lost sight of him.

An RAF helicopter was called to search the area and a nearby yacht was informed of the situation.

The West Mersea lifeboat found the man and took him back to shore. Despite being in the water for a lengthy period of time he did not require any treatment.