Skipper cheered by passengers in sea cadets rescue

Tony Cowell was just leaving Fleetwood when the emergency call came in

Passengers cheered and applauded a ferry skipper after he rescued sea cadets who had got into difficulty.

Five cadets and two adults were picked up on Friday after their inflatable craft got into difficulties on an outgoing tide on the River Wyre, near Fleetwood in Lancashire.

Tony Cowell, captain of the Knott End Ferry vessel the Wyre Rose, was just leaving Fleetwood for the five-minute crossing when the emergency call came in.

"We were told it was just round the corner, but they had drifted because of the tide going out and they were heading out towards the sea," he said.

Run by Wyre Marine Services, the Knott End Ferry crosses the River Wyre in about five minutes

Mr Cowell added: "They were trying to paddle and of course the tide was stronger than they could paddle, so we set off with the passengers.

"At first I was going to get the passengers off, but with it being round the corner I thought I'd carry on.

"I told the passengers it was the duty of any ship when a mayday goes out to try and help if you are in the vicinity, and they all cheered.

"There was only one metre of water underneath us by the time we got there, but we grabbed the rig and towed her to safety."

Everybody on board the broken-down inflatable was handed to the care of the coastguard who confirmed "all were safe and well".

"The children were thankful and the passengers gave us a round of applause," Mr Cowell said.

The Knott End Ferry crosses the River Wyre in about five minutes, compared to an hour-long journey by road across Shard Bridge to Fleetwood.

It provides a link between Fleetwood and the Over Wyre communities of Knott End, Preesall and Pilling.

The ferry can carry up to 35 passengers.