Jetboard rider saves distressed sailor after capsize

A jetboard rider has come up with a novel way to help out a sailor who flipped his catamaran.

The rider said he was practicing flips when he came across the capsized boat at Mission Bay in San Diego last week.

He swam over to the man who was bobbing in the water beside his vessel before bracing for his ambitious manoeuvre.

He blasted the thruster on the water jets and pulled the mast of the boat out of the water, righting the boat in the process.

Internet users have cast doubt on the legitimacy of the stunt but the man gave an interview after the cartoon-like rescue and insisted it was genuine.

He said he had no idea if the attempt would be successful and was glad to help.

"I think people have trained to push those devices as far as they can and now we are starting to step the realm of using it for a different purpose… helping people," he told Elite Aerials.

The video has been viewed more than 48,000 times since it was posted to YouTube on Saturday, and widely shared on numerous news websites.