A YACHT in distress off the West Somerset coast was rescued by a volunteer lifeboat crew on Wednesday night (May 21).

The 36 ft vessel’s gearbox had failed, leaving it drifting dangerously on the tide near Watchet.

Due to the vessel’s size and distance from shore, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) despatched its all-weather lifeboat from Barry Dock, Wales.

An RNLI spokesperson said: “The yacht was safely towed into Watchet Harbour and handed over to the Coastguard without incident.”

Later, several sightings of red flares over the channel were investigated by lifeboat crews from Minehead and Barry and coastguards from Watchet and Minehead, but no distress situation was discovered.

It was thought they had been activated illegally inland and drifted over the water.