Cruiser capsize rescuers praised

The woman was pulled from the sea by a rescue helicopter

Rescuers have been praised for trying to save three people who died after their cabin cruiser capsized in heavy seas off the North Yorkshire coast.

Two men and a woman died after being rescued from their 24ft vessel, which turned over in "atrocious conditions" near Whitby Harbour on Friday.

The boat had set off from the harbour and it appeared to attempt to turn back after a warning from lifeboat crews.

A force eight gale warning was in place and the sea swell was 20-30ft high.

Witnesses have commented on the brave actions of the Whitby lifeboat crew and the helicopter crew, both operating in very challenging circumstances North Yorkshire Police

A Whitby RNLI spokesman said the cruiser went out in "atrocious weather conditions".

Lifeboat workers could see 16ft (5m) waves crashing into the boat as they tried to radio the crew about the dangerous sea conditions.

"Soon after leaving the harbour the boat was seen attempting to turn around but capsized in the rough seas," the RNLI spokesman said.

A coastguard spokesman said that at one point, people in the harbour who had called the coastguard had been unable to see the victims in the water because of the swell of the sea.

The lifeboat rescued the men 100 yards from the West Pier.

A rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield pulled the woman from the sea and took her to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Killer sea

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Witnesses have commented on the brave actions of the Whitby lifeboat crew and the helicopter crew, both operating in very challenging circumstances."

A man and the woman died soon after the rescue and the second man died after several hours in hospital.

Roy Weatherill, Whitby RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said: "The lifeboat launched very quickly and the crew did an absolutely magnificent job to recover the two people from the water."

"The guys tried to give mouth-to-mouth and first aid, that was their priority until the paramedics took over.

"They are naturally very upset."

Mike Bill, rescue co-ordination centre manager at Humber Coastguard, warned people to be wary of going out on to rough seas.

"We can only warn again that the sea is a killer and that in these very rough conditions individuals must be aware of the risks that they take when approaching or going out on the sea," he said.