A GLIDER pilot had a lucky escape when his aircraft ditched in the sea off Porlock Weir last Friday afternoon.

The man, who lives in Tiverton, had hoped to make an emergency landing in a field after losing height but was unable to make it and crashed into the sea west of the weir.

The aircraft quickly sank, but the pilot had just enough time to open the canopy and swim ashore.

He went to a nearby hotel to raise the alarm but strong winds and large waves soon broke up the craft and it sank before Minehead Coastguards could locate it.

The pilot had taken off from the North Hill gliding airstrip near Dunkeswell on the Blackdown Hills.

His flight had taken him to Dorchester and Weymouth, back over Dulverton and across to Lynmouth.

It was as he headed along the coast towards Porlock that he suddenly lost height and disaster struck.

The unnamed man escaped with only minor injuries to his hand.

Coastguard Shaun Brooks said the glider's 15-foot wingspan could have posed a threat to local boats and there had been hopes of retrieving it at the time of the incident.

"Unfortunately, when we got there the waves were so high and there was a good force six to seven blowing so there was nothing we could do," he said.

"We couldn't find any trace of it so can only assume it was broken up and had sunk," Mr Brooks said.

However, the wreckage was washed ashore and was spotted by Minehead lifeboat while out on exercise on Sunday.