Great Yarmouth coastguard came to the rescue of a motor cruiser which ran out of fuel as it made its way from Lowestoft to Hull on Saturday.

At 3.10pm the Yarmouth rescue co-ordination centre at Havenbridge House received a faint emergency message from a vessel reporting it had run out of fuel.

The coastguard managed to track down the message to the 27ft cruiser Eponene which had come to a stop across the entrance to the Wash.

Staff at Havenbridge House managed to alert other shipping in the areas and arranged for a RNLI lifeboat to be launched from Skegness.

Yarmouth coastguard then set up a helicopter transfer of the three people on board as they were suffering from hypothermia and the skipper was slipping in and out of consciousness.

All three were taken to hospital and the Eponene was towed to shore.

Yarmouth coastguard watch manager Mario Siano said: "I am always surprised when people attempt passages without ensuring they have enough fuel for the trip.

'It is always advisable to carry more than you think you will need to make sure you do not run out of fuel and have to call for help.

'The crew of the vessel were lucky we managed to pick up the weak radio call and of course we wish them a speedy recovery in hospital.'