Festival goer rescued after taking shortcut across Solent in rowing boat

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Nathan Byng, who is in his 20s, had been at the Isle of Wight Festival over the weekend and was trying to take a short cut across the Solent to his home in Southsea, Hants.

But after leaving Cowes, Isle of Wight, just before 3am this morning, he lost the oars of his rowing boat over the side and called Solent Coastguard for help.

The coastguard alerted the Cowes Insore Rescue team who sent their lifeboat out to hunt for the stricken vessel.

Rescuers eventually found Mr Byng drifting around a quarter of a mile off Cowes and brought him and the boat, which was a yacht tender, back to Cowes.

A spokesman for Solent Coastguard said: "We received a call from a man on his mobile phone who said he had lost his oars and was drifting.

"We launched the Cowes lifeboat which eventually found an unlit rowing boat drifting about a quarter of a mile off Cowes.

"The lifeboat brought the man and the boat back to Cowes.

"The man had been at the Isle of Wight Festival and said he was trying to row home to Portsmouth when he lost his oars over the side.

"It might have been an easier option to take the ferry back."

It is unknown whether or not Mr Byng has managed to get off the island and return to his home in Southsea.