A 76-year-old holidaymaker has been described as a 'very lucky man' after rescuers plucked him from the sea just minutes before he could have drowned.

A woman walked up to Mundesley Lifeboat's boathouse around 7pm on Monday, and was lucky enough to find the volunteer crew there for their weekly training session.

Colin Plummer, the lifeboat's coxswain, said: "She asked if we could have help look for her dad. She had last seen him drifting out to sea."

The crew launched their rescue boat and found the man struggling to stay afloat at the opposite end of the beach.

Mr Plummer said: "When we got to him he was very close to giving up. He was in a very poor state."

After retuning to shore the man was given first aid by lifeboat crew members, and an ambulance came to take him to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Pete Revell, from HM Coastguard's Bacton team, praised the volunteer crew for their actions.

He said: "Their quick response had saved his life. He was going under, another 10 minutes and he probably would have drowned.

"He was a very cold man when we got him out of the boat."