The quick and professional actions of fishermen a Shotley-based vessel probably saved the life of a person they rescued who fell overboard from his yacht off the Felixstowe coast.

The crew on the Yvonne Anne, which is often moored at Shotley marina, were working a couple of miles off Landguard point last weekend when they heard the Mayday call.

They quickly managed to locate and pull the stranded sailor out of the sea.

They wrapped him up nice and warm before handing him over to the crew of Harwich's RNLI's Atlantic class inshore lifeboat Tierney, Harvey & Sonny Reid, who subsequently took him to Ha'penny Pier where they were met by paramedics from East of England Ambulance Service.

Yvonne Anne skipper Peter Caunter, said: 'We were in the vicinity of the position given, approximately 1.6 miles from us. We made best speed and arriving at the scene, found a small angling vessel, with one man on board and another in the water beside the vessel.

"We tied alongside and my two crew members went aboard, and between the three of them, managed to get the casualty aboard, who was very cold and semi-conscious.

"As the lifeboat was only minutes away, the casualty was wrapped in a thermal blanket in readiness for a transfer to the lifeboat."

Harwich RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Peter Bull, thanked the crew of the Yvonne Anne, and added: 'Many aspects to this incident contributed to a good outcome; the casualty wearing a lifejacket, the lifeboat crews training, but the overriding factor must be the quick response to the Mayday call from Peter and his crew.

"I'd like to add that RNLI volunteers give up their bank holiday weekends to be on call for emergencies like this and I'd like to thank them for the commitment and dedication that they give to the RNLI, often having to leave their families to help others."

Meanwhile, a kayaker demonstrated quick thinking by helping people who were in difficulty and drifting out to sea with small inflatables.

Inflatables are something that the RNLI recommends people don't use in the sea, as they can quickly and easily be swept out.

The charity urges people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard before attempting to help someone in trouble.