Four people 'lucky to be alive' after Tresco rescue

The passengers of an open boat have been saved off the Isles of Scilly thanks to another boat being nearby and the captain coming to their rescue.

The Osprey was on a seabird trip yesterday, 7 August, when the skipper, Andy Howells, saw a large wave swamp a small open boat in the sea off Tresco. People ended up in the sea and on the rocks.

Andy Howells - himself a former lifeboat coxswain - pulled one person from the water and handed them to the St Mary's Lifeboat crew, which had been called out to the incident.

You can see the casualties being tended to in the centre of the photo near the sea Credit: RNLI

The other three casualties made it up onto the rocks but were injured. They were looked after by the Coastguard Rescue Team when it arrived.

All four were airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for treatment.

Rescue helicopter R924 and the coastguard rescue team called to the scene on Tresco Credit: RNLI

Watch the dramatic rescue: