LIFEBOATMEN were called out two more times in quick succession after a dramatic rescue last night. (Monday, July 28)

As previously reported in The Northern Echo, Hartlepool RNLI rescued two men who had been adrift on a life-raft for up to nine hours near Sunderland.

The two fishermen had been on a ten metre trawler when their net got caught on something on the seabed causing it to be pulled under at about 9.30am. They managed to scramble into the life-raft but didn’t have time to raise the alarm.

The alarm was eventually raised by people aboard a Dutch yacht who spotted the two men and pulled them aboard. The men were unharmed.

Hartlepool RNLI had just dealt with the rescue shortly after 6pm when they were almost immediately called out again. This time a seaman aboard a cargo ship, four miles offshore, needed medical attention.

The man was taken to shore where an ambulance at Teesport, near Middlesbrough was waiting to take him to hospital.

While transferring the sailor to the lifeboat yet another alert was called through by the Humber Coastguard. This time the volunteer lifeboatmen were asked to help jetskiers who were reported to have got into trouble near Seaton Carew.

The Betty Huntbatch lifeboat was launched for a third time, but on locating the jetski the riders said they were not in trouble.

The lifeboatmen finally returned for the last time at about 8.20pm.

Gary Waugh, second coxswain at Hartlepool RNLI, said: “In all my time with the RNLI, I have never had three shouts off the belt without getting back to the boathouse.

"These were three very different incidents to deal with and it is testament to the professionalism of our volunteer crew members who train week in and week out to be able to help save lives at sea.”