Lowestoft drugs inquiry: Water scooter rescue pair charged
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Rescue crews later located the water scooter, which has been impounded by UK Border Force.
Two men airlifted to safety after getting into difficulties on a water scooter in "really rough" seas have been charged with drug smuggling.
A 36-year-old and a 33-year-old, both from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, are accused of importing class A drugs.
The RNLI and Coastguard were called at about 19:00 BST on Wednesday after a nearby vessel spotted the pair off Lowestoft, Suffolk.
They were winched on board the Coastguard helicopter.
The two men were searched and arrested and taken to Great Yarmouth police investigation centre for questioning.
They are due to appear before magistrates in Norwich later.
RNLI crew member Paula Granfield, from the Lowestoft station, said: "The weather conditions became really rough the further we got out and the casualties had been airlifted from the deck of the nearby vessel by the time we arrived."
Rescue crews later located the water scooter, which has been impounded by UK Border Force.