Four fishermen are lucky to be alive after their boat narrowly avoided capsizing.

Coastguard alerted lifeboats at Harwich and Walton and scrambled an RAF rescue helicopter at 2am yesterday (Thursday).

The 30-metre Belgian vessel Goede Hoop, 18 miles off Walton, was rapidly taking on water in its engine room and the crew said they were about to take to the liferaft.

The helicopter winchman was lowered on to the deck to make an assessment.

Thames Coastguard watch officer Bruce Lack said the helicopter was preparing to pluck the sailors out of the water had the boat sunk.

Mr Lack said: "However, it was noticed the flooding wasn't getting any worse. We believe if a wind had been blowing the vessel would have capsized."

He added that the fishermen were "lucky to be alive". The leak into the engine room was caused by a faulty deck wash pump.

The pump is used to draw up seawater to wash down the deck and cargo, but the pipe had split causing the engine room to flood.

By 3.10am all power was lost but lifeboatmen got to work with three salvage pumps on the vessel and started pumping it out.

Mr Lack said: "Lifeboat engineers managed to start the fishing vessel engine, which is quite amazing."

But there was still no battery power or steering.

After the Goede Hoop was pumped out, the Zeehond salvage tug arrived from Belgium.

Mr Lack said: "The fishing vessel will be escorted back to Zeebrugge by the tug."

Walton lifeboat stood by near the boat until the tug began towing it away.

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