A man was rescued by workers from a fishing vessel in Otago Harbour this afternoon after the sailing dinghy he was in capsized.
Emergency services were called to the Vauxhall Yacht Club about 12.30pm after reports a man was swimming about 400m from shore after capsizing the small sailing dinghy he was in.
By the time emergency services arrived the man had been rescued by workers on a nearby fishing vessel, who used the vessel's inflatable support boat to carry out the rescue.
The rescuers rushed the man to shore where he appeared cold but otherwise unharmed.
The man walked to nearby police officers who wrapped him in a foil blanket.
He was then taken to Dunedin Hospital by St John ambulance.
A police officer at the scene said the man attempted to tack his sailing boat in winds of about 15 knots.
His boat then became swamped with water.
He confirmed the man was cold but otherwise fine.
The rescuers pulled the man's capsized boat, a sailing dinghy with an outboard motor, to shore where police attempted to retrieve it.
Constable Brent Mitchell, of Dunedin, said the yacthie was well-equipped, wearing water-proof clothing and a life jacket, as well as carrying a personal locator beacon.
Const Mitchell also applauded an unidentified ''member of the public'' driving a car with a trailer with two jet-skis, who assisted police from the scene before officers arrived.
