24 June 2012 Last updated at 06:51 ET

Men on drifting jet ski rescued off Kent coast

The three men were rescued about 1 mile offshore

Three men have been rescued after drifting into shipping lanes on a jet ski in the Thames estuary off Kent.

The inshore lifeboat at Sheerness was launched at 17:40 BST on Saturday to help the men who were drifting off Allhallows, Isle of Grain.

Robin Castle, the RNLI's coxswain, said the propeller of the jet ski got tangled with a rope attached to an inflatable ring it was towing.

The men had drifted about a mile offshore on the outgoing tide.

The three men, aged 47, 21 and 18, were taken to hospital with mild hypothermia.

The 37-year-old and the 18-year-old are believed to be father and son from Strood, the RNLI said.

An RNLI spokesman said: "They could have been in deep deep trouble."