An Exmouth skipper used a bucket to keep his boat afloat after the vessel’s salvage pump was unable to keep out high waves

Exmouth’s lifeboat crew this week rescued two men who were battling to keep their boat afloat with the aid of a bucket.

The rescued pair was wet and cold after their motor boat’s salvage pump was unable to keep up with the flow of water being taken onboard from the sea.

The lifeboat crew pumped out the stricken vessel before returning it to Exmouth.

The drama happened on Tuesday afternoon, one mile out to sea at Budleigh Salterton.

Skipper Duane Greenslade said: “As soon as we were chucking it out, the sea was chucking it back at us.

“I was relieved to see the lifeboats as I was having to stop every few minutes to get more water out of the boat.

“My colleague was getting a soaking as the weather had turned and the waves were hitting the boat side on.

When the inshore and all-weather lifeboat crews arrived they found the salvage pump onboard the stricken vessel was unable to keep up with the water levels – and the boat became lower in the water each time waves crashed over the side.

An RNLI spokeswoman said: “One of the men became very wet and cold. He was transferred to the warmth of the all weather lifeboat.

“Two volunteer crew members went on board the stricken vessel and pumped out the water while the skipper continued passage back to Exmouth under the close watch of both lifeboats.”