Pregnant woman among 17 people rescued after getting stranded

A total of 11 people in the group, who were from Hastings, were winched to safety by helicopter during the mission in Breydon Water, Norfolk, on Sunday, April 24.

Two dogs and a rabbit also had to be rescued after two cruisers ran aground in low tide.

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The group of 17 all had to spend the night on the water before the early-morning rescue by Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI.

A total of 17 people, two dogs and a rabbit were rescued. Credit: Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI

Joe Coglan, who was on one of the boats, said his family was unfazed by the experience and had decided to hire another cruiser, staying on an extra day.

He told the BBC he had only been concerned for his six-month-old daughter Myla.

"The rescue was very well done; they're saviours really,” he said. "If it wasn't for them we'd probably still be there."

A Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI spokesman said the alarm was initially raised on Saturday afternoon after the cruisers had become stuck on the mudflats on the River Yare due to an ebbing tide.

The low tide meant a rescue was not immediately possible. The mission officially began at 4.50am on Sunday.

A total of 17 people, two dogs and a rabbit were rescued. Credit: Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI

The stranded group were winched by the rescue helicopter two at a time until six were on board, before landing at a nearby rugby club field.

It then returned to winch the remaining five people.

Hemsby lifeboat service also deployed its flat-bottomed vessel, used to navigate the shallow waters of the Norfolk Broads, to carry out one of the rescues.

Coxswain Daniel Hurd said the cruiser's engine had broken, meaning "those on board were in some danger".

"I'd say they were extremely lucky," he told the BBC.

The group were taken to a nearby yacht station. None needed hospital treatment, the lifeboat services said.