A lifeboat crew was called out to aid a Dutch yacht, which was stranded in rough seas.

The crew of two on the Dutch yacht called for assistance from the RNLI lifeboat service when the deteriorating weather conditions and an engine problem left them stranded off the Suffolk coast.

The 13-metre yacht was on passage from Ijmuiden in the Netherlands when the crew encountered intermittent engine problems and did not feel confident to use their sails in the adverse weather conditions.

Lowestoft Lifeboat coxswain John Fox said: 'We were called just after 6.40pm on Thursday (August 9) and launched our relief lifeboat RNLB Cosandra to go to the aid of the yacht, which was 18 miles east of Kessingland.

'An offshore support vessel, the Olympic Artemis, was in the area and stood by the yacht until we arrived. When we reached the yacht the conditions in the area were not good with lots of wind and a choppy sea.

'We were able to throw a line to the yacht's skipper and he did a good job to crawl along the deck of the pitching vessel to attach it. After a slow tow back to Lowestoft we safely moored the craft in the yacht basin just after 11pm.'