A FISHING trawler crew was rescued by the RNLI as their vessel was at serious risk of sinking into the North Sea.
The Aberdeen-registered trawler with three people on board had contacted Humber Coastguard to request assistance when it began taking on water resulting in mechanical failure.
Hartlepool RNLI volunteers were paged at 3.15pm on Tuesday and by 3.30pm both inshore and all weather lifeboats had launched and were alongside the stricken vessel 20-minutes later.
With sea conditions deteriorating, a salvage pump and two lifeboat crewmembers were transferred to the trawler to begin pumping water from the flooded vessel.
The fishing boat was then taken under tow to Hartlepool Fish Quay and the salvage operation continued until a second pump was placed aboard.
This allowed the RNLI crew and lifeboats to return to the Ferry Road lifeboat station at 6.30pm.
Hartlepool RNLI coxswain Robbie Maiden said: "Without our assistance I think the vessel would have been in serious trouble.
"Some great team work from the volunteer crewmembers in difficult conditions certainly helped save the fishing boat."
Jake Oates, who was one of the crewmembers who went aboard the fishing boat, said: "The galley area of the fishing boat was flooded and debris floating around inside it made pumping the water out extremely difficult, but along with crewmember Mark Crangle we managed to reduce the water level enough to allow the fishing boat crew to carry out repairs at the Fish Quay."
Hartlepool RNLI Lifeboats Operations Manager Chris Hornsey said: "Once again an amazing response from the volunteer lifeboat crew with support by the shore crew and station officials brought the incident to a safe conclusion."
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