A MAN had to be rescued from southern waters after his fishing boat started to leak.

Cowes RNLI lifeboat was deployed to rescue a man who was stuck on his leaking boat  tonight.

The lifeboat was called out at 6.54pm to reports of a 21-foot fishing boat being spotted taking on water and without power, racing westwards.

By the time they reached the boat, named Nelly T, they found a Newport man on board in Thorness Bay which is where teh problem occured.

The man told the lifeboat crew that when he ran his engine water gushed into the boat so he had temporarily turned the engine off and used a hand-bilge pump.

Eventually he ran out of fuel and was drifting westwards, until he dropped his anchor.

After the lifeboat put its own pump on the Nelly T it was eventually towed to Town Quay in Cowes where it was met by Newport Coastguards.

Cowes lifeboat returned to station at 8.20pm.