A COUPLE who ended up in the sea after their small boat capsized had a lucky escape because a rescue craft was just metres away.The drama happened in the mouth of the River Deben between Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey on Monday afternoon.

A COUPLE who ended up in the sea after their small boat capsized had a lucky escape because a rescue craft was just metres away.

The drama happened in the mouth of the River Deben between Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey on Monday afternoon.

The couple were leaving a motor cruiser which had come from the Bawdsey direction, and were getting on to a lighter (a small rowing boat) to take them ashore when the lighter capsized.

The man was thrown into the water and the woman was left holding on to the side of the motorboat.

Felixstowe Ferry's safety boat Mo Chara was just a short distance away keeping watch over a yachting championship, and was able to rescue the couple and take them back to the shore at Bawdsey.

They were shocked, but otherwise unharmed and did not need medical treatment.

In June, BBC worker Kari Boto died after going swimming in the sea near to Felixstowe Ferry. Despite frantic efforts by coastguards and Wattisham search and rescue to save her, she died at Ipswich Hospital.

Robert Wright, Commodore of Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club said: “The rescue boats had been busy all weekend as we were hosting a major national championships.

“However, as soon as the crew on Mo Chara were alerted that there was an incident, they attended the scene immediately, and were able to get the couple safely out of the water.

“Our rescue crew are very experienced and have helped out in many incidents in and around the river Deben.”

It was a busy afternoon for Mo Chara as it had to be launched again later that afternoon to aid two dinghies that had been swept out to sea by the strong tide and fading wind.

John Cresswell from the Felixstowe volunteer coastguard said the fine weekend had brought many people to the sea during the bank holiday weekend, but there had been very few incidents.

He said: “I think the Felixstowe Ferry thing was the only incident we had to deal with. We were called and logged in the incident, but by the time we got there the two people were ashore and had been checked over and we only had to record what had happened.

“It was good fortune that the rescue boat was so near, it meant everything was sorted out very quickly.”