A swimmer who tried to tackle the English Channel on their own was found 'cold and tired' just 500m from Dover.
A huge search was lanched in the Channel for someone said to be trying trying to swim from England to France in chilly conditions.
A helicopter and rescue teams were dispatched to the waters off Kent after the coastguard received a call from a member of the public saying a friend was trying to cross from Dover to Calais.
The 27-mile stretch between Dover and Calais can be perilous and is home to the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The incident is not related to migrant crossings, the PA news agency understands.
A coastguard spokesperson said: "At around 12.10pm today HM Coastguard received a call from a member of the public with information that their friend was swimming unaccompanied to Calais from Dover.
Air temperatures in Dover on Monday afternoon were about 17C with winds of up to 10mph, according to the Met Office.
Shortly after 10pm it was reported the swimmer had been found.
The swimmer was cold and tired, but otherwise well just 500 metres off Dover, the coastguard confirmed.
He has been brought to shore and will be checked over by ambulance staff.
