People stranded on a boat, with 'high chance of collision', rescued by Brighton RNLI

People stranded on a boat, with a "high chance of collision", have been rescued by RNLI in Brighton.

The vessel had a flat battery, which caused the engine to cut out and the lights to switch off. The RNLI crew said this could have increased the chances of an accident.

The two passengers on board managed to ring the coastguard on their phones and the crew were called at 20.37pm on Monday (25/04).

The boat was found 1.5 miles south of Brighton Marina and towed back to the Marina by Brighton's in-shore lifeboat. The two people on board were safe and well.

The RNLI say it's the sixth call out for the crew in Brighton in 11 days, following two busy weekends for the crew.

Lifeboat operations manager Roger Cohen said: "It’s fortunate that the situation didn’t deteriorate in this instance. A vessel with no lights is in a dangerous situation due to the chances of them not being seen by others.

"The crew did a great job as always, particularly in this instance spotting the vessel in the fading light.

"It is vital that anyone going to sea ensures their boats are fit for purpose and that any passengers on board have alternative means to ask for assistance such as a VHF radio as well as a mobile phone."