RNLI lifeboat crew help sailors stranded all night on board boat grounded at Keyhaven

RNLI rescuers helped two sailors who had been stuck overnight on a boat grounded at Keyhaven.

The alarm was raised shortly after 11am on Tuesday, before the lifeboat was launched to the stricken vessel amid fears it could flood with the rising tide.

Two of the lifeboat’s crew went on board and decided it was best to stand by as the water level rose.

A Lymington RNLI online post afterwards said: “Due to the limited mobility of one of the persons on board, taking them off the vessel would have been risky so they took the vessel under tow to deeper water.

“Once the skipper and crew were happy, the vessel continued on their passage and the lifeboat proceeded back to the station.”

Another stranded vessel was dealt with by Mudeford RNLI in the early hours of Thursday.

This time it was a RIB with two people on board which had broken down near Christchurch Harbour’s entrance.

Called out around 12.40am, the lifeboat reached the scene at 1am, finding the RIB safely at anchor with both occupants unhurt.

The boat was then towed to Mudeford Quay.

* This story has been amended from an earlier version which stated the boat was stranded in Lymington River