A surfer who was declared missing in Hastings after his surfboard washed ashore amid the high winds and waves whipped up by Storm Ciara has been found alive after he managed to swim ashore at a beach more than five miles further east.

The man, whose name has not been released, was surfing at Rock-a-Nore in Hastings, which is directly in front of the lifeboat station and protected by the harbour arm.

However, the alarm was raised when his board was recovered but there was no sign of him in the water.

Two lifeboats and a helicopter were dispatched to try and find him, but had no success, amid waves reportedly over 3m (10 ft) high.

He eventually came ashore on the beach at Pett Level – a small settlement along a stretch of beach over five miles to the east of Hastings.

Storm Ciara batters UK Show all 75 1 /75 Storm Ciara batters UK Storm Ciara batters UK A Toyota car in a sinkhole which appeared overnight in Hatch Road, Brentwood, in the aftermath of Storm Ciara PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse Dozens of domestic and international flights have been cancelled as Storm Ciara is set to batter the UK and Ireland with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles per hour AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Large waves and sea spray caused by Storm Ciara hit vehicles being driven along the seafront in Newhaven Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A flooded street is seen after Storm Ciara downpour in Hebden Bridge The Afghan Rug Shop via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Firefighters rescuing a person from a car in a flooded street in Blackpool South Shore Fire Station/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A sign nearly submerged on the coast in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Newly constructed flood defenses on the River Calder by Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire AFP/Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooding on the coast in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Storm Ciara has also hit areas across Europe. Rescuers work on the A2 motorway in Marly, northern France, after a truck was tipped over in the early morning AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Newhaven in East Sussex, as Storm Ciara hits the UK PA Storm Ciara batters UK A man looks at debris and damage at his home in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flood water rushes down a street past houses in Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flood water surrounds cars parked outside a flooded Co-Op shop in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK People enjoy leaning into the wind as Storm Ciara arrives in West Bay Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Workmen clear up after tree fell on speed camera and damaged it on The Meadway in Tilehurst, Reading PA Storm Ciara batters UK Part of Bridge House Guest House and Sonia's Bistro in Hawick collapsing into the fast-flowing River Teviot as Storm Ciara battered Scotland with high winds and heavy rain Ryan McGee/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Damage to Bridge House Guest House and Sonia's Bistro Rob Tait/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A flooded car in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against the harbour wall in Porthcawl Getty Storm Ciara batters UK A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane ahead of Sheffield United's Premier League game against Bournemouth PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree in the Longlevens area of Gloucester Rod Minchin/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane PA Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed bursts its banks in the Scottish Border Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Cars make their way through floodwaters as Storm Ciara hits in Accrington EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Poor weather conditions at Bramall Lane Action Images via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK People walk along the debris-covered promenade after waves broke across it at hight tide, in Blackpool AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK A trampoline on the railwayline between Sevenoat and Orpington Network Rail Kent and Sussex/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Fans arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane PA Storm Ciara batters UK High water levels in Hawes, North Yorkshire bezberesford/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Combination photo showing a crane at a building site in Worthing, West Sussex, which is rotating on its own in the wind PA Storm Ciara batters UK Manchester City's match against West Ham has been called off due to the extreme weather Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves hitting the Cobb in Lyme Regis Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded pitch at Bramall Lane Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against the breakwater during Storm Ciara at Wimereux, France Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed busts its banks in the Scottish Borders Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Sheep cut off by a flooding River Tweed in The Scottish Borders Getty Storm Ciara batters UK A lifeboat passes white cliffs, as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK People walk on the Erasmusbrug in Rotterdam, The Netherlands EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Porthleven in Cornwall PA Storm Ciara batters UK A woman holds a hand rail to steady herself as she walks along the harbour wall in Polperro, south west England AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK People walk along the promenade as waves in break in a stormy sea alongside the lighthouse in New Brighton, north west England AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Traffic passes through water on the A66 near Bowes in County Durham PA Storm Ciara batters UK Cladding lies on the ground after falling from the Copthorne Hotel next to the Bramall Lane Action Images via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Damage to one of the stands at Wisbech Town Football Club in Cambridgeshire PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Newhaven PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree crushed a car in Wigan vickigregson/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A man walks with a child and a dog on a dike against strong wind during the storm Ciara in Harlingen, The Netherlands ANP/AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over the harbour wall by a lighthouse as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK Onlookers watch the storm-churned waters at Newhaven PA Storm Ciara batters UK Police attending the scene of a fallen tree blocking Furze Platt Road, Maidenhead PA Storm Ciara batters UK People get blown by the wind as waves crash over the harbour wall as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK A motorcycle parked in a flooded street in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Large waves and sea spray caused by Storm Ciara hit vehicles being driven along the seafront in Newhaven REUTERS Storm Ciara batters UK Tree on the Motorway 0411, Brussels to Luxembourg in Bierge, Belgium EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Body boarders ride the stormy waves at Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire as Storm Ciara approaches the Welsh coastline Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against wind turbines at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK People walking alone Salthill promenade in County Galway as Ireland and the UK brace for Storm Ciara PA Storm Ciara batters UK Construction workers begin the process of dismantling steps at Galway's South Park after organisers of the opening ceremony to mark Galway's year as European Capital of Culture cancelled the ceremony due to bad weather with Storm Ciara due to arrive later on Saturday PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree on power lines in Newborough near Peterborough PA Storm Ciara batters UK Geese take advantage of the conditions as floodwater fills the streets of Hebden Bridge AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK People walking their dogs on Salthill promenade PA Storm Ciara batters UK Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill County Galway being battered by waves PA Storm Ciara batters UK A body boarder rides the stormy waves at Broad Haven Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed floods in the Scottish Borders Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A woman walks through floodwater in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire after the River Calder burst its banks AFP/Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooding on the road through Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire AFP/Getty

The route would have taken him along an uninhabited coastline largely composed of uncompromising cliffs, before he reached the western edge of Rye Bay.

“It’s a fair old distance to be without your board,” the press officer for Hastings Lifeboat Station Clive Mayhew told The Independent.

“The helicopter then landed there and he went to William Harvey hospital [in Ashford] for a checkover, and apparently he’s ok.”

When the lifeboat tried to return to Hastings, a large wave almost capsized the vessel. The incident was captured in spectacular footage taken at Rock-a-Nore beach in Hastings by Paul Hogg.

He told The Independent: “I saw them launch the lifeboat and was there when they were trying to retrieve it afterwards.

“They had four or five attempts at retrieving [it] but abandoned the retrieval because of the sea conditions, it was too dangerous.”

The lifeboat was then taken to Eastbourne harbour where it will be moored overnight.

“The weather was the worst I have seen in a very long time. The swirl of the sea was enormous. There is no way that surfer should have been out there,” Mr Hogg said.

Speaking about the conditions the lifeboat crew faced, Mr Mayhew added: “When the boat came back and came round to the harbour, it went right over and nearly capsized. All the crew are ok.”

“It’s what we do really. Whatever the circumstances where someone ends up in the sea, that is what we’re designed to help with.

“But when you see the footage [of the boat] it is amazing that no-one was hurt – as far as I’m aware, that was the case on the boat.