A COUPLE rescued from their stranded yacht by New Lifeboat crew have said 'thank you' with a donation raised on their wedding day.

Alison and David Harrison, from Liverpool, delivered a hand-decorated shoebox, containing around £100 for the RNLI, to the lifeboat station this week.

Long-time supporters of the charity, Alison and David asked that friends and family attending their wedding made the donation in recognition of the lifeboat volunteers who came to their aid earlier in the year.

Alison said: "We are always keen to support RNLI as we have our own yacht and often enjoy sailing in and around Liverpool, the Irish Sea and the Menai Strait.

"In March, we were most grateful for the assistance of New Brighton RNLI crew when we had propulsion difficulty while on the River Mersey.

"So there was no question about using the occasion of our big day to raise funds for the team."

RNLI Helm Mike Stannard was at the lifeboat station when the newlywed couple called in.

He said: "We are all really touched by the efforts Alison and David have gone to since we helped them out on the river.

"From their creative and colourful efforts on the shoebox the donation came in, to fundraising for our lifeboat station on their special day, it's fantastic and we are so grateful."

Mr Stannard was also onboard the inshore lifeboat on the day of rescue and had just taken the RNLI crew through a training session when the call came in to the Coastguard.

He added: "Keeping an ear on the radio meant we picked up Alison and David’s call so we could advise the Coastguard we were only two minutes away and could reach them quickly.

"Ably assisted by the yacht's crew, one of our team boarded the yacht to set up the tow.

"Twenty minutes later the vessel was safely berthed back at Liverpool Marina, all within the 45-minute window we had before the marina was due to be locked.

"Despite following safety guidelines, even the most experienced sailors can be caught out by engine problems. Alison and David did exactly the right thing by promptly calling the Coastguard.

"This meant we were able to offer speedy assistance getting them out of the channel and back to safety."

Whenever anyone is in difficulty in, on or near the water. RNLI advises they dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.