Dramatic footage shows aftermath of West Country sailing boat crash

A sailing boat crashed into rocks along the West Country coast yesterday morning (Sunday, May 5). Dramatic footage shows a lifeboat approaching the sinking ship just a few metres from the rocky shore.

Two men can be seen onboard the boat as the lifeboat crew arrive. The vessel was tilting into the sea in St Mawes, Cornwall, as they boarded it to survey the damage.

Charlotte Auger, 36, was at home with her husband when he alerted her to the crash at around 10.30am. She said: "My husband called down to me from upstairs and said 'Oh my God, a boat has crashed into the rocks'.

"We could see three guys on the boat panicking a bit as it was sinking fast. A passerby was on the phone and it must have been the RNLI as they turned up within ten minutes.

"It was the perfect day for boating - beautiful blue sky. They must have gotten too close to the rocks or maybe they just didn't know the local area."

Ms Auger said it did not look like anyone on board the sailing boat was injured and it had been travelling at a slow speed. She added: "We heard the tannoy on the RNLI boat say there was damage to the hull and they're trying to pump water out. Two of the guys had been taken off the boat."

The RNLI and Coastguard have been contacted for comment.