Redcar rescue: Man in his 80s rescued after falling from boat at Paddy's Hole

Redcar RNLI said its team found the man after hearing "a weak cry for help"

A man, aged in his 80s, was rescued after falling into a river and clinging to a mooring chain of a small boat for more than an hour.

The man, from Seaton Carew, was working on another vessel with a second man at Paddy's Hole, at the mouth of the River Tees, Redcar, when they fell in.

The other man managed to swim ashore to raise the alarm just after 21:25 BST on Saturday and a rescue was launched.

Redcar RNLI said its team found the man after hearing "a weak cry for help".

'Feared the worst'

The service said the crew of a Tees pilot cutter used its searchlight to try to locate the missing man, while the lifeboat searched through the boats moored in Paddy's Hole.

After being found he was taken aboard the lifeboat and given emergency treatment, including oxygen, and was taken to the entrance to Tees Dock to await paramedics.

Both men were taken to hospital for checks, the RNLI said.

Andy Beevis, helmsman of the Redcar lifeboat, said: "When we were told the man had been missing for over an hour we were fearing the worst, so we were really pleased when we heard him call out.

"He started to fade a bit when we got him into the lifeboat but by the time we reached the dock he was responding to treatment.

"Considering what he'd been through the outcome could have been very different".