A HAMPSHIRE lifeboat has saved a young sailor who fell into the Solent after their dinghy was hit by the wash from a passing vessel.

The small inflatable craft got into difficulties off Calshot Spit and the sailor was already in the water when RNLI Calshot Lifeboat arrived at the scene.

A lifeboat spokesperson said: "Feeling incredibly proud of our volunteer crew right now.

"This afternoon a young person was spotted onboard a small inflatable dinghy in difficulty off Calshot Spit.

"Our D-Class lifeboat Willett was launched at speed.

"Once on scene the crew recovered the casualty, who had by then fallen overboard due to the wash of a large vessel making the dinghy unstable.

"On a grey damp day like today, with poor visibility and significantly fewer passers-by on the water, it’s likely we would have been sharing a very different story."

The spokesman praised the RNLI mechanic who spotted the casualty in the water and the shore crew, who were able to launch the lifeboat immediately and gave medical assistance when the crew returned with the casualty.

They added that the crew made good decisions, executed excellent medical care and most importantly "got there in time".