Fishing boat rescued off the Isle of Wight after it sprung a leak

Cowes lifeboat stands by as the fishing boat, with lifeboat personnel on board, is towed by Hamble lifeboat to Cowes. Credit: RNLI

A 20-foot fishing boat had to be rescued at the weekend, after it sprung a leak which caused the boat to take on water.

Two lifeboats were involved in the rescue, after crew raised the alarm on Saturday morning.

Hamble's independent lifeboat, which was already out on the Solent on exercise was the first to the scene, with an RNLI lifeboat from Cowes sent to assist shortly after.

Once the leak was identified to be coming from the engine's coolant pipe, the elder of the two anglers was transferred to the Hamble lifeboat so that a member of the crew could take his place.

A salvage pump was used by the Hamble crewman, who was later joined by a crewman from the Cowes lifeboat and water began to be extracted with a bucket.

The vessel was then towed, against a strong tide, to Trinity Landing in Cowes by the Hamble lifeboat.