The St.Agnes RNLI Lifeboat XKalibur was launched on Sunday evening following a report of a man spotted out to sea in the water off the coast of St.Agnes.
The volunteer crew of Gavin Forehead, Adam Garland and Jamie Barton launched shortly after 7pm in conditions of one to two foot swell and good visibility, and the man was found in the water at 7.24pm.
A St Agnes RNLI spokesperson said: "The casualty had been out fishing alone and fallen off his kayak. He was unable to get back onto his kayak as it appeared to be taking on water and sinking."
The man, who was in his 40s, was on holiday and had been adrift at sea for approximately half an hour, before being spotted. He was wearing wet weather clothing and a buoyancy aid, but did not have any way to alert anyone.
Fortunately, he had been observed and monitored by two National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) watch keepers, Mathew Hurst and Jon Macleod, in their lookout on St.Agnes Head.
After removing him from the water the lifeboat crew wrapped the man in insulating sheets and administered oxygen and medication to prevent him from deterioration. They took him back to Trevaunance Cove near St.Agnes where he was handed over to the care of paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service.
His kayak washed up at Perran Sands on monday morning.
The RNLI has safety information for kayakers and canoeists, which can be found at: rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/kayaking-and-canoeing
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