HUMBER lifeboatmen rescued a vessel with five crew onboard that started sinking one and a quarter miles offshore in a late night operation.

The Sara declared an emergency when she began taking in water off the Humber estuary at 8.20pm on Wednesday (September 7).

The lifeboatmen first took two extra pumps to the ship and managed to stabilise her sufficiently to tow her inshore. She was taken to the lock of Hull Marina.

The whole operation took four and a half hours and all crew are safe and well.