Two men rescued after becoming stranded at sea in homemade boat off the Essex coast

The pair, both in their 20s, were forced to call lifeguards when the oars broke

Undated handout photo issued by Clacton RNLI of a boat made by two men for less than £10 after they were rescued by lifeguards when the oars broke (Clacton RNLI/PA Wire)

Two men had to be rescued after they took a homemade boat that cost less than £10 to build out to sea.

The pair, both in their 20s, were forced to call lifeguards when the oars broke, leaving them to drift 200 metres off Jaywick, in Essex, yesterday.

They told rescuers from Clacton RNLI how the boat, made out of scrap plywood, insulation boards and wire coat-hangers, was held together with silicone glue which cost £9.

Joff Strutt, of the Clacton RNLI, said: "A lot of people may have been working on their homes over Easter - but this was a rather hasty DIY project which nearly landed them in trouble.

"They had been out fishing the previous day and decided to give it another go on Monday.

"At the end of the day's fishing, they found themselves too far out at sea. Their oars weren't strong enough and they weren't wearing lifejackets.

"Fortunately nobody was hurt and they've learned a lesson."

The two men contacted the coastguard at about 2.20pm yesterday after becoming stuck out at sea.

The men later gave their permission for the boat to be destroyed.

Mr Strutt said: "You can't stop people making their own boats but they need to make sure they know what they're doing and, if you're going to sea, make sure you're wearing a lifejacket."

Additional reporting by PA