CLACTON’S lifeboat crew was sent to help a craft spotted drifting in the water.

The offshore lifeboat was launched and found the boat in the River Blackwater estuary after a thorough search.

Crew members spotted the sailing dinghy, which had no one onboard. It had a hole in it and looked like it had been adrift for a long time.

They secured the craft and brought it back to the shore. It happened at about 8am on Sunday.