Sinking yacht crew rescued after beaching on North Norfolk coast

A yacht grounded on a shingle beach
The yacht was forced to ground on the beach rather than sink at sea Credit: Cromer and Sheringham Coastguard

A group of sailors have been rescued after their boat started sinking in the North Sea.

The yacht began taking on water in the early hours of Thursday, 24 September, after the boat's engine failed while heading into a strong westerly wind.

According to a statement from the RNLI, the captain decided to "sail the boat ashore and ground it on the beach rather than sinking at sea".

The boat landed on a stretch of the coast between Blakeney Point and Kelling and the four crew members waded ashore.

Sheringham lifeboat was launched at 1.45am on Thursday

They fired a flare which allowed the Sheringham lifeboat crew to find them.

The local coastguard team were also at the scene and were able to transport the sodden crew to a hotel in Sheringham where they could dry out and spend the night.