Joe Layton rushed to hospital after almost drowning on set

London: Actor Joe Layton was rushed to hospital after almost drowning while filming for a new BBC drama.

The actor was shooting underwater scenes for "Tatau" in New Zealand when he failed to use his equipment properly, and suddenly found himself struggling to breathe, reported Daily Star.

"We were filming in a six-metre pool which doubles as a coral reef. There were oxygen tanks down there and I didn't purge the regulator properly. I took it out of my mouth and got a lungful of water," Layton said.

He was taken to a local hospital where he remained for a day after developing secondary drowning, a condition in which the lungs fill with body fluids after being irritated.

"I didn't tell my mum about that until I got back," he added.

"Tatau" is a supernatural drama following the lives of two friends who go back-packing around the world.