Surfer was ‘certain he was going to die’ just before his rescue

Matthew thought helicopter had missed his signals from the sea below

A surfer rescued after more than 30 hours stranded at sea thought he was going to die just moments before he was found by a helicopter.

Speaking from his hospital bed in Belfast as he recovers from hypothermia, Matthew Bryce vowed he will never surf again.

The 22-year-old from Airdrie was reported missing when he failed to return from a Sunday morning surf off the Argyll coast.

He was eventually found by a search and rescue helicopter on Monday, drifting in the North Channel, 13 miles from Northern Ireland.

Mr Bryce told BBC News: “I knew I had maybe three hours and I was pretty certain that I was going to die with that sunset.

“So I was watching the sunset and I’d pretty much made peace with it all and then a helicopter flew right over.

“So I jumped off the board and I lifted it up and I started waving it in the water and they flew right over. I thought they’d missed me.

“Then they turned round... and then they saved my life. I can’t thank them enough.”

The interview showed Mr Bryce was also badly sunburnt during his ordeal. He said he was helpless on Sunday as changing currents and strong winds pushed him further from the shore.

An RNLI lifeboat has since recovered his surfboard but the 22-year-old is not planning to take it back to sea.

He said: “I think we’ll find a good use for it, maybe as starter fuel.”

I was watching the sunset and I’d pretty much made peace with it all

Pictures: PA. Left: rescued surfer Matthew Bryce in hospital and above: the moment he was pulled from the sea by a helicopter crew.