Sheringham's lifeboat has been called to help a fishing vessel in trouble at an offshore wind farm.
The North Norfolk town's RNLI lifeboat was called at 5.40am today (July 15) to reports that a 23ft fishing boat, Irene II, had broken down at the Sheringham Shoal wind farm.
The boat, crewed by a single fisherman, had broken down about 1 mile west and half-a-mile offshore of Sheringham's Lifeboat Station.
But the rescuers, in a rigid inflatable lifeboat called The Oddfellows, were unable to restart the engine after finding the Irene II, so took it in tow back to Cromer, where it had left from.
As there was a heavy swell running and the tide was on the flood, the owner opted to fasten the prow of the boat to the Cromer Lifeboat outer buoy with an anchor off the stern to secure the fishing vessel when the ebb come through.
The lifeboat then returned to Sheringham's station with the fisherman on board, and he was eventually given a lift back to Cromer by one of the crew.
A spokesman said: "All safe and well, good service professionally completed."
The lifeboat was crewed by Liam Cooper, Paul Pretty and Andy Trend, and the helmsman was Tony Webster.
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