COASTGUARDS and lifeboats went to the rescue of a cruiser struggling in gale force wind and the tide off Minehead harbour on Sunday afternoon.

The Minehead and Watchet teams were alerted by a concerned member of the public, but the vessel then disappeared from sight.

Making use of various vantage points along the coast from Minehead to Porlock Weir, the coastguards tried to pinpoint the vessel in order to guide the Minehead lifeboat to its position.

Meanwhile, radio enquires were made by the Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Milford Haven.  

Minehead RNLI launched its Atlantic 85 lifeboat, but conditions were extreme and, despite their best efforts, they were forced to turn back at Selworthy Sands. 

The lifeboat and the coastguard search teams were then briefed by the Coastguard officer in charge of the updated situation and the coastguards were tasked to make shoreline searches back towards Watchet.

Milford Haven then reported that the Ilfracombe all-weather Shannon lifeboat had been launched following distress calls being made on VHF radio and from a phone call from the vessel off Foreland Point, near Lynmouth.

But there was a possibility that the distress calls was being made by a different vessel so the coastguards continued their search until it was confirmed as the same boat that was now under tow.