A kayak which floated from Northern Irish to a beach in the south of the island has been returned to its owner.

An RNLI volunteer uncovered the upturned kayak on the Manx shore earlier this month and took it back to the lifeboat station where it was discovered that it had been reported missing from Ballywalter in Northern Ireland last week.

Having washed up at Gansey, the kayak was matched to one which had gone missing in Ballywater. The owner, Albert Boul, was contacted and he confirmed via photograph that it was his.

He said: ’It must have fancied a week’s cruise across the Irish Sea!’

Mr Boul was reunited with his kayak this week as shipping company Mezeron agreed to carry it back to Northern Ireland on board the MV Silver River as it headed to Belfast on Tuesday night.