A surfer, who had been swept out to sea while surfing off the Argyll coast of Scotland, was rescued by the Belfast Coast Guard after 32 hours at sea. Matthew Bryce, 22, was reported missing by his family when he failed to return from a surfing trip on Sunday afternoon.

As reported by the Independent: Police Scotland and the coastguard launched a large-scale search, with rescue teams from Campbeltown, Southend, Gigha, Tarbert and Port Ellen involved.

The 22-year-old was eventually found by a search and rescue helicopter at around 7.30pm on Monday, drifting 13 miles from the Argyll coast. Mr Bryce, from Glasgow, was taken to Belfast Hospital for treatment for hypothermia.

Dawn Petrie, from the Belfast coastguard operations centre, said: “He’d been in the water for some 30 hours when the helicopter was delighted to spot him. 

“He was extremely lucky. He was wearing the right equipment, had a very thick neoprene wetsuit on and did the right thing by staying with his surfboard. That must have helped him to survive for so long.”

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to the post.