Pebbles B&B, Budleigh. Owners Humfrey and Rosemary Temple who took in two wayward boating couple who ran out of fuel and beached their craft behind the B&B.; Picture by Alex Walton. Ref exb 0656-34-10SH

A Budleigh Salterton husband and wife have been hailed Good Samaritans after offering free accommodation to a family whose boat sank off the beach. The Stepehens family, from Torquay said the Budleigh couple had ‘restored their faith’ in human kindness.

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Selfless Rosemary and Humfrey Temple, who run Pebbles bed and breakfast, in Fore Street, took Paul Stephens, 43, from Torquay, and his family under their wing after the boat they were on sank off Budleigh Salterton on Saturday.

The kind-hearted pair, married for 45 years, offered the family a bed for the night.

Mr Stephens said he and his family were touched by the couple’s kindness.

He said: “What they did has restored our faith in humans. They are very, very nice people.

“The engine failed just off the coast. We drifted into shore, and the waves washed us sideways onto the beach. We got everybody off. It was quite frightening. We have got various injuries, bruises and scrapes.”

Mrs Temple said she and her husband stepped in to help after the boat sank and the family was spotted among the waves desperately trying to rescue their belongings.

Grandmother-of-12 Mrs Temple said the Stephens family had returned their generosity with gifts.

She said: “We feel very loved by them.

“It was a horrible night. It was belting with rain. We went down to the beach to say come in for a drink and to warm up.

“It was going to be jolly tough for them to go home. They had tied the boat to their vehicle to stop it from drifting.”

The drama played out for most of the day when Mr Stephens’ 18-foot motor cruiser, Katy Clare, on its maiden voyage with five people on board, became trapped in the surf line at Budleigh.

When the vessel suffered engine failure in choppy conditions the family was forced to abandon the boat to the mercy of the sea after it began to sink.

Mr and Mrs Temple, who had been keeping an eye on the drama throughout the day from their B&B, had just sat down to dinner when the boat lost its battle against the elements.

The vessel was later towed to safety by a local fisherman.