The father of rescued surfer Matthew Bryce has said his family can't wait to be reunited after his son was found at sea. 

John Bryce gave a statement on behalf of the whole family thanking everyone who helped find and rescue the 22-year-old safe.

He said: "The past 48 hours have been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions for our family and we are so grateful that Matthew has been found safe and well.

“To get that call from the police last night to say that he was alive was unbelievable – it was better than a lottery win – you just can’t describe it.

“Matthew means the world to us, he is such a strong character both mentally and physically, and we are looking forward to being reunited with him.

“We’ve managed to speak to him briefly on the phone and he is obviously exhausted after his ordeal, but he is in good spirits and happy to be alive.

“Our family cannot thank the Coastguard, RNLI volunteers and police officers involved in finding Matthew enough.

"I would also like to thank our friends and family as well as the hundreds of people who offered their support on social media.

"We have been overwhelmed by your support and good wishes and we will be forever grateful to every single one of you.”

Matthew's family reported him missing on Sunday after he went to West Port Beach near Campbeltown to go surfing for the day.

After a 32-hour search he was found by the coastguard at 7.30pm last night - 13 miles from the Argyll coast.

He was rescued and airlifted to Ulster Hospital in Northern Ireland.

John and his wife Isabella are currently on their way to be by their son's side as he recovers.