Lavernock: Four men rescued from sinking fishing boat

RNLI volunteer Hugh Kelsall said the boat sank within minutes of the men being taken to shore

These pictures show the moment four men were rescued from a fishing boat, minutes before it sank.

Rescuers pulled the men to safety from the 23ft (7m) vessel after it started to sink near Lavernock Point, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, on Saturday morning.

RNLI volunteer Hugh Kelsall said the boat was "nose down in the water" when they arrived and sank within minutes of the men being taken to shore.

The boat could not be recovered.

• 'I was scared drifting a mile-and-a-half out to sea'

The RNLI said the area was known to have strong currents

Mr Kelsall said the men had called for help after their boat began to take on water, and when they arrived they had to act quickly to get them to safety.

"When we saw the location of the boat and it being nose down in the water, along with the speed of the dropping tide, our priority was to make sure the people aboard the fishing vessel were recovered safely," he said.

"Boats taking on water can sink in a matter of minutes or even seconds, and if people end up in the water the situation quickly becomes much more dangerous."