DRAMATIC pictures were revealed today showing the “touch and go” rescue of two men from their yacht which sank off the coast of Great Yarmouth.

DRAMATIC pictures were revealed today showing the “touch and go” rescue of two men from their yacht which sank off the coast of Great Yarmouth.

The men, one aged in his 70s and the other in his 40s, were sailing on the Boudicca, which is thought to be from Ipswich, when they ran aground on the Scroby Sands at around 5am on Sunday morning.

Coastguards from Great Yarmouth and Gorleston today told how they arrived at the scene within minutes but the operation was hampered by shallow water and the fact that the vessel, which was built in 1960, had become submerged.

After several unsuccessful attempts to tow the stricken yacht free of the sand, the crew decided to abandon hopes of rescuing the boat and launched an inflatable craft to save the men, who were soaking wet and cold.

Rob Carroll, one of the crew onboard the lifeboat, said: “The coxswain of the lifeboat decided it was too dangerous to continue trying to save the yacht, which at that point was heeled right over and taking more and more sea water.

“The men were pulled off the yacht and taken to the lifeboat station where they were given warm drinks and towels.”

The lifeboat returned at 8.45am and managed to secure a tow line around the mast to try to tow it off the sandbank, but the hull was too badly damaged.

Mr Carroll added: “The yacht sank and all that was now visible of the Boudicca was her mast. This is all that marks her final resting place.”

Steve Bartram, coxwain of the lifeboat, said: “It was touch and go for a while, which is why I decided the two men should be saved first. It was a real shame to lose the yacht after every one fought so hard to save it.”

It is thought one of the men has been left homeless since the disaster after he planned to sail the yacht to a permanent mooring in South of Wick in Scotland.

The two men had left Lowestoft at 2am on Sunday before strong tides caused them to run aground 2.5 miles north east of Lowestoft.

Do you know anything about the yacht or the men on board? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.