Watch the moment man jumps out of dinghy in Solent to avoid being hit by container ship

• WATCH: Man jumps out of dinghy and avoids shipping container in close call. Credit: Harvey Brett-Hill

The moment a swimmer jumps out of a dinghy and narrowly misses being hit by a large shipping container has been captured on video.

Three men were on two dinghies in the Solent at the weekend, March 6, when one of the engines failed to start.

One of the men, who was alone in the small dinghy, was seen jumping out and swimming away to escape being hit by the ship.

Witness Harvey Brett-Hill filmed the event from a Red Funnel ferry, and captured the man swimming towards the other boat, where he was rescued by friends.

• Harvey Brett-Hill tells ITV News Meridian about the moment he saw the man "swim for his life"

He said: "There were several times where I thought he was going to get sucked under, and not going to come out."

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "Shortly before 10am yesterday (6th March), Southampton Vessel Traffic Services informed HM Coastguard that one of its patrol vessels had recovered a person from the water.

"The person had been alone in a small dingy, but was accompanied by friends in a separate dingy.

"Hillhead Coastguard Rescue Team and South Central Ambulance Service were sent to meet the vessel at Empress Dock. The person was passed into the care of the ambulance service and the dingy, which the person was in, was towed back by their friends."

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has been made aware of the incident.