Four men were plucked from their sinking boat by fellow fisherman in a dramatic rescue off the North-East coast last night.

Coastguards scrambled an air sea rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland and launched the Whitby all-weather lifeboat after receiving a may day call from the Carisanne shortly after 7pm.

The 22 metre boat, which fishes from Whitby crewed mainly by men from North Shields, was taking in water fast, 50 miles north-east of Whitby.

The Ocean Reaper heeded the may day and found the Carisanne crew after they abandoned ship, unharmed, in a life raft after the water level reached the wheelhouse.

The helicopter airlifted three crew members back to base, from where they were taken back to North Shields to be reunited with their families.

But the skipper, from Whitby, remained on the Ocean Reaper, where his saw his vessel sink, shortly after 9pm.

The coastguard's marine accident investigation branch is carrying out an inquiry into the sinking.

"It happened really quickly," said a spokesman. "They were lucky there were vessels within 20 minutes."