A MASSIVE manhunt for a ‘missing’ kitesurfer who turned up safe and well racked up a £5,000 bill.

Portland Coastguard’s Search and Rescue helicopter and the Poole RNLI Inshore Lifeboat spent four hours scouring the area after a kite and board were found adrift at around 4.20 pm on Friday.

Fearing its owner was in the water, Dorset Police, RNLI officers and members of the public joined the search from the shoreline. Around 50 people took part and news spread through blogs and radio announcements.

Although the official hunt was stood down at around 8pm, Poole Kitesurf Club members continued looking overnight.

Coastguards resumed their appeals on Saturday morning.

Then at 10.10am the kit’s owner – a Portsmouth man who had read about the efforts to find him on Facebook – called Poole’s Watersports Academy to ask if he could pick up his kit.

Portland Coastguards have issued a plea for anyone who loses or abandons their kit to let the emergency services know.

Watch manager Ros Evans said: “At no time did the man attempt to reassure the emergency services that he was safe.

“On his return to Poole he was given extensive safety advice.”