A HAVE-A-GO hero took to the water to save the crew of a capsized boat.

Two men and a 12-year-old girl fell overboard from a small rigid inflatable boat (rib) near Pagham yacht club yesterday.

But their fortunes changed when they were spotted by a quick-thinking jet skier.

He witnessed the boat overturn from his home nearby - swiftly launching his jet ski and racing to the scene. The rider scooped up the girl and one of the men, ferrying them to shore before returning for the second man.

A crew from Selsey RNLI was also called shortly after 6.20pm and sped to the scene. When they arrived, the team quickly spotted the rib and recovered it, bringing it to shore. The Coastguard helicopter and Littlehampton Coastguard crews also attended, and confirmed the three casualties were safe after the actions of their jet skiing saviour.

Lifeboat crews expressed their gratitude to the man, saying his “quick response prevented what could have escalated to a more serious incident”.

Littlehampton Coastguard also thanked him for his actions, saying: “We have to pay massive credit to a member of the public who launched his jet ski and rescued all three really quickly.”

This is not the first act of bravery coastguard crews have seen in recent weeks. On June 7, two 16-year-olds saved an unconscious man seen floating in the water Chichester Harbour.