LIFEBOAT DRAMA: The crew of the Teignmouth lifeboat rescued two men from a stranded yacht in full view of crowds on the seafront on Wednesday.
The 18ft vessel was on an afternoon cruise from Exmouth, when she went aground on Spratt Sands, just off the main Teignmouth beach.
Shaldon ferry operator Jim Trout, who is also a lifeboatman, raised the alarm when he saw the boat being pushed onto her beam by breaking waves.
RNLI station secretary Mike Schooling joined the lifeboat crew at short notice when it became obvious they would be a man short.
'The situation looked a bit desperate,' said Mr Schooling. 'There was a south-easterly wind, force 5–6, and a 2–3 metre swell breaking on the back of the sands.
'It was impossible to tow the boat off in those conditions, so we decided to get the two men off and bring them ashore.'
Mr Schooling and RNLI crew member Mark Wiltshire got out of the lifeboat and waded over to the yacht.
'The water was only about a foot deep, but the sands were shifting beneath our feet and the waves were breaking,' said Mr Schooling. 'We persuaded the two yachtsmen to get off, although one of them was a bit reluctant because he was not a strong swimmer.'
The men were safely recovered and taken to the lifeboat station.
The yacht later floated off the sands into deep water, from where she was taken in tow to a visitor's mooring in the estuary.
The owner sailed her back to Exmouth on Thursday morning.