COWES RNLI came to the rescue after a motorboat went aground on the shore of Beaulieu River yesterday afternoon (Saturday).

At 5.36pm, the Cowes crew were called to the scene. 

With the stricken motorboat at the mouth of the river on a receding tide, the four lifeboat crew members knew they were in for a long wait for the tide to change in order to refloat the craft. 

During the wait, they were joined by Calshot lifeboat.

Concerned that the motorboat crew could suffer from dehydration in the blistering heat, two members of the Calshot crew approached on foot to pass over bottled water.

As motorboat began to refloat on the tide, with no damage perceived to its hull, both lifeboat crews eventually stood down, and Cowes lifeboat returned to station at 7.18pm.