The Dover Lifeboat and a Canadian Naval vessel were alerted by Coastguards following notification that an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) had been activated off the Coast near Sandgate this afternoon (12 October).

A 999 call from a crew member was received shortly afterwards.

The caller indicated that his vessel had hit a submerged object and he and his son had taken to their life raft.

Dover Coastguard requested the Dover Police boat D99 attend as well as the launch of the Dover RNLI lifeboat.

The scene of the drama  Photo: Max Hess

The Canadian Naval vessel Quest which was alerted to the distress by Dover Coastguard proceeded to the scene together with the Hythe Range boats Smit Romney and Smit Rother.

The police boat D99 arrived as the same time as the rescue craft from the Canadian ship which recovered the man and his son to the boat.

The man and his son had left from Dover but had taken to their life raft after their motor cruiser started to sink. They activated their 406 Mhz beacon which gives the Coastguard a position.

Peter Legg, Senior Watch Manager at Dover Coastguard said: "This incident highlights the benefits of owning and using an EPIRB in a distress situation as we were able to alert nearby vessels to the situation and resolve the incident quickly."

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©