Divers rescued after boat capsizes

A lifeboat rescued 11 divers from the sea after their boat capsized off the east coast of England.

Emergency services were scrambled after Lowestoft Harbour Control identified the stricken dive boat in the water near the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club, in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Lifeboat crew were dispatched at around 12.15pm today to help after a number of people were spotted in the sea.

Four divers were taken to the James Paget Hospital, in Great Yarmouth, for treatment for minor injuries. The remaining seven were uninjured.

Dave Moore, watch officer for Yarmouth Coastguard, said: "Yarmouth Coastguard received a call from Lowestoft Harbour Control at 12.12pm informing them that the dive boat was a quarter of a nautical mile east of the harbour and the boat was sinking by the stern and people were in the water.

"The Lowestoft RNLI all-weather lifeboat was exercising in the area and was in a fortunate position to be able to be on scene rapidly and retrieve all 11 people from the water."

He said the lifeboat had returned to the wreckage site to clear debris from the water.

A spokeswoman for the East of England Ambulance Service said three rapid response vehicles and one ambulance were rushed to the scene where they assessed all 11 patients.

She said: "Four had minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to the James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth.

"The remaining seven patients were uninjured but cold from being in the water.

"They were re-warmed at the scene and did not require hospital treatment."

Coastguards described weather conditions at the time as "calm with a light south westerly wind and sunny".

PA