A Mayday call was made from a single-handed 9m yacht that was taking on water seven miles north-west of St Agnes, Cornwall.
The call came in at 10.45pm on Monday evening, and the St Ives RNLI all-weather lifeboat, Nora Stachura, was launched in response to a request from the Falmouth Coastguard.
With coxswain Robert Cocking at the helm, the St Ives Lifeboat Nora Stachura proceeded to the scene, amid a force 3-4 westerly wind and a slight swell.
A 924 Search and Rescue helicopter was also covering the incident but was stood down once the lifeboat crew arrived to take control of the situation.
The all-weather lifeboat helping Kotuku find a mooring after being towed. Credit: RNLI/Alban Roinard
Due to the yacht, Kotuku, taking on water, the coxswain drew the lifeboat alongside it to allow two crew members to board so that they could assist with halting the leak.
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With RNLI second mechanic Mark Penberthy and volunteer crew member Jake Martin on board, the yacht was safely escorted back to St Ives Harbour. The rescue lasted for approximately two hours and 45 minutes.
An RNLI spokesman said: ‘The collaboration between St Ives RNLI lifeboat crew, Falmouth Coastguard and the Search and Rescue team proved once again to be vital in achieving a successful outcome.’