Hartlepool fishermen rescued from sea by Dutch couple

Two Hartlepool fishermen were rescued by a Dutch couple after spending nine hours adrift on a life-raft when their boat sank in the North Sea.

The men had been fishing 12 miles (19km) off the coast of Sunderland when their vessel hit a submerged object and quickly sank, at 16:40 BST on Monday.

The pair were picked up by a Dutch couple who were sailing to Whitby after they spotted one of the men waving.

The couple said they had "never seen anyone happier" after saving the men.