Royal Navy warship rescues five people on sinking yacht

Sailors from HMS Diamond used buckets and hand pumps to stop the yacht from sinking

A Royal Navy destroyer rescued five sailors on a yacht which began to sink in the English Channel.

The craft, travelling from Beaulieu in Hampshire to France, issued a Mayday call at 21:00 GMT on Thursday.

HMS Diamond launched an inflatable boat in rough seas to rescue four badly seasick crew members, the RNLI said.

Four Royal Navy sailors then used buckets and hand pumps to remove water from the vessel while its captain sailed to Portsmouth.

Sailors from HMS Diamond launched the vessel's sea boat to help the yacht

The stricken 12m (39ft) yacht was 33 miles (53km) south of Newhaven, East Sussex, when it sprang a leak, the RNLI said.

Lewis Arnold, from the RNLI's Newhaven lifeboat, said the Royal Navy managed to bring a small craft alongside the yacht and rescue most of the crew despite a 4m [13ft] swell.

He said: "We took four adults from the warship - a family group who were seasick.

"There were eight to 10 inches [20-25cm] of water above the decking [on the yacht]."

A lifeboat from Bembridge RNLI, on the Isle of Wight, was also sent to the scene and escorted the yacht to Haslar Marina.

Newhaven lifeboat transferred the stricken sailors to Portsmouth