LIFEBOAT volunteers were called upon four times in five days to help people in trouble at sea off the Frinton and Walton coast.

Walton and Frinton RNLI crews received the first call just after 3.30am on Tuesday, April 4, when UK coastguard requested volunteers to investigate an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which had been activated by a yacht crew 12 miles east of Walton Pier.

Together with Harwich RNLI crew and a Coastguard helicopter they found the vessel was aground and sailors from the yacht had evacuated to their life raft.

A spokeswoman for Walton and Frinton RNLI said: “The helicopter crew lifted the three occupants from the life raft and took them to hospital to be checked over after their ordeal.

“Walton and Frinton’s Tamar lifeboat remained on scene to check the security of the yacht and recover the life raft back to land. Harwich RNLI returned later in the day to retrieve the yacht once it had re-floated.

“The Walton and Frinton crew were back in their berth at Walton Pier just after 7am Tuesday morning.”

Later on Tuesday afternoon, the team was asked to assist Essex Fire and Rescue mud rescue team as they evacuated the occupants of a yacht that was stranded on mud in Walton Backwaters.

Teams assembled at Titchmarsh Marina and equipment and personnel were transferred to the lifeboat which was able to take them to within 75 metres of the craft.

The rescued family of three was then transferred to the lifeboat to warm up after their ordeal before being brought ashore.

The morning of Wednesday, April 5, saw the crew attend to a motor boat with steering failure four miles off Walton Pier.

The vessel and its two occupants were assisted into Walton Backwaters for repairs.

A fourth incident came just before 6am on Saturday, April 8, when the crew was sent to locate and assist a 15-metre motor vessel with one person on board which had engine failure.

The spokeswoman added: “With the craft’s occupant unable to give an accurate position the lifeboat used its radio direction finding equipment to get a bearing and eventually located the craft drifting in the Gunfleet wind farm.

“The vessel was taken to Brightlingsea and the lifeboat crew then returned to the berth at Walton Pier just after midday.”