A MAN was washed out to sea after his jet ski broke down.

The man and his partner, believed to be in their late-twenties and from County Durham, were just off Redcar, east Cleveland, when their jet ski broke down on Saturday afternoon.

The man attempted to swim ashore to get help, but was swept out to sea. Redcar lifeboat and coastguards were called and the couple were rescued.

Graham Dawson, watch officer for Humber Coastguard, said: "If people do get into difficulty, they should stay with their boat or jet ski and not try to get back to shore.

"They are then in real danger of being swept out to sea.

"If they stay with the boat, they can be rescued by a lifeboat."