A SMALL crew on board a fishing boat were rescued after its engine failed during high tide.
Lifeboat volunteers from New Brighton RNLI were called to the fishing vessel at around 10.30am on Saturday.
The boat was close to the rocks on the seafront and a spring tide of 10m was predicted around noon, meaning conditions were choppy.
Its main engine had failed to start and the battery was flat while one on the three crew members had been forced to go in the water to try to fix the problem.
The vessel was taken in tow and secured to a local mooring as the skipper remained on board until it could be recovered later in the day when the tide was low.
Senior Helmsman Dave Lowe said: “Anyone going on the water should be aware of the tides and local conditions.
"It is essential that full safety gear including lifejackets should be worn at all times as survival time in the water especially this time of year is very short.”
New Brighton's lifeboat operations manager Graham Sale said: “This one could easily have turned out very differently but fortunately we were able to get everyone and the vessel safely back to land.
"It is a testament to the dedication and selflessness of our volunteers who turn out in all weathers, day or night all year round.”
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