Walmer Lifeboat has towed a yacht to safety after it was wedged onto the Goodwin Sands off Deal with eight people on board.

Lifeboat volunteer press officer Andy Roberts said: "It was a German boat hard aground and although it was a rising tide there was concern that the vessel was damaged below the water line.

"Communications were poor with language difficulties and the crew only had a weak hand held radio whose transmissions could not be heard by the coastguard.

"After reassuring the Germans that no charges would be incurred, they took a line aboard and the lifeboat towed her into safe and deeper waters.

"Walmer lifeboat stood by while it was checked that there was no ingress of water and the yacht then continued its passage from the North Atlantic to Germany."

Ray Norman, pier master on duty on Deal Pier, was one of the two people who dialled 999. He said he saw the yacht in the distance and noticed it was not moving.

He added: "I realised the tide was low and there was not enough water to lift it off the sandbank, so I raised the alarm."

Andy Coe, the helmsman of Walmer Lifeboat said: "The Goodwin Sands has been known for years as "the ship swallower" and any vessel that grounds there is in danger of causing extensive damage to herself and possibly floundering."

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