A MAN who fell out of a kayak and was in water for two hours is lucky to be alive after his cries for help were heard. 

Furness Coastguard, Millom Coastguard, Ulveston Inshore Rescue and Bay Search and Rescue were called out to reports that a man had been heard in Windermere crying out for help at around 11.45pm on Saturday. 

When they arrived a safety boat from Low Wood Hotel, Windermere, had been dispatched and picked him up. 

The man had been in the water for about two hours and had fallen out of a kayak when it overturned. 

He was treated for hypothermia and handed over to Ambulance crew.

A spokesman for Furness Coastguard said: "This really was an extreme case of good fortune, as the person was not wearing a lifejacket, had not told anybody of their departure out into Windermere, was not wearing appropriate clothing and was fortunate enough that somebody had heard the shouts for help.

"We urge all persons that use the water for pleasure to make people aware of your intentions, wear certified lifejackets along with having several means of communication or several types of signaling distress as a minimum.

"That annoying whistle that gets in the way on everyone's lifejacket would have been a fantastic way of signaling distress on this occasion if they were wearing a lifejacket."

Low Wood Hotel confirmed that they responded to "distant" cries of help. 

A spokeswoman said: "A very distressed male voice could be heard calling for help from out of the darkness across the lake adjacent to the Low Wood Bay Resort Hotel. 

"Members of the Low Wood Bay team were alerted and assisted the coastguard, police, lake wardens, ambulance and fire services in getting the gentleman to safety after he was found in the water, clinging onto his overturned kayak. 

"The teams quick thinking meant the gentleman was rescued safely and helped avoid a tragedy. 

Paul Brown the Manager from the Marina and Gary Lanigan one of the senior instructors who helped with the rescue warned that all lake users should wear the correct clothing and buoyancy aid. 

Mr Brown said: "If this accident had occurred in a week or two’s time the outcome could have been very different as the boats on the marina would have been stored up for winter."