RNLI lifesavers rescue three fishermen in the nick of time as they desperately cling to upturned hull of their capsized boat
- Three fishermen were saved from drowning in a dramatic rescue on Saturday
- Boat capsized when they were fishing for lobster near Roker Pier, Sunderland
- Within minutes, RNLI volunteers had arrived and pulled the fishermen to safety
A video of a dramatic lifeboat rescue of three fishermen who were clinging to their capsized vessel has been released by the RNLI.
The men were fishing for lobster near Roker Pier in Sunderland on Saturday when their boat became snagged on floating line from a lobster pot and overturned.
Although they had life jackets on board, the men were not wearing them when the vessel got into difficulty, leaving them clinging to the hull of their sinking boat.
Three drowning fishermen were pulled to safety when their boat capsized as they were fishing for lobster near Roker Pier in Sunderland on Saturday
Several members of the public raised the alarm when they saw the men, who were trying to haul a lobster line back on board, hanging on to their upturned boat.
The Coastguard requested RNLI lifeboats be launched and crews from Tynemouth and Sunderland were called out.
Within 10 minutes, the RNLI volunteers had arrived at the scene where they grabbed the drowning fishermen and pulled them to safety.
The men were taken back to Sunderland Marina where paramedics checked them over and one man was taken to hospital.
A RNLI spokesperson said they have released the footage of the dramatic rescue to warn the public of the dangers of not wearing a life jacket.
The dramatic lifeboat rescue was captured on video by RNLI volunteers who responded to the alert within minutes
RNLI volunteer helmsman Paul Nicholson said: ‘We understand the boat capsized after becoming snagged on floating line from a lobster pot.
‘Thankfully, our volunteers were able to respond extremely quickly to this incident and prevent a tragic accident which could have very easily ended up with three lives being lost.
‘Hopefully, the dramatic photographs and video of this incident will act as a reminder to those who go out to sea about why it is important to wear your life jacket and not leave it in a locker on the boat.’
RNLI said they have released the footage of the dramatic rescue to warn the public of the dangers of not wearing a life jacket. Pictured: The men are pulled to safety by volunteers after they were left clinging to the hull of their sinking boat