A dad and his sons had to abandon their Father's Day Sunday roast for an emergency call out to save a fishing boat in a danger.
Volunteer lifeboat crew Mark McGinn and his sons Ben and Tom were sat eating their Sunday dinner with the whole family when the emergency pager went.
RNLI New Brighton was responding to a call by UK Coastguard to a fishing vessel stranded near Crosby - with four people on board.
Dad Mark said: "We were all enjoying our Sunday dinner but when the beeping starts, you just get going. We were on the scene within 16 minutes of being called out, which shows how efficiently we’re working."
The emergency call out was son Ben's first rescue - and he snapped into action alongside his dad and brother Tom, who are all members of RNLI New Brighton lifeboat crew.
While Ben and dad Mark took to the water, Tom was part of the lifeboat shore crew who helped bring the boat to land on New Brighton Beach.
The crew found the fishing boat over a bank behind the Queen’s Channel of the Mersey , stuck in 1.5m breaking waves and close to going aground.
Both the boat and the four crew members on board were in a dangerous position - and the RNLI had to act fast to try and rescue them.
Ben said: "This was my first rescue and it was great to be able to put months of training into practice. I’m glad it had a happy ending and that everyone was brought to shore safely.
"It was only after that, I thought how special it was to share that experience with my dad."
Mark said: "As their dad, I’m so chuffed with both lads. I’m really proud that both of them are not only volunteering as lifeboat crew but the three of us were there for what was fairly challenging rescue given where the boat was situated."
The RNLI provides a 24/7 search and rescue service which means that regardless of what volunteers are doing, they might have to abandon everything to save lives.
Hoylake RNLI Deputy Second Coxswain Alistair Knowles said: "The fishing boat had broken down in a hazardous area of the River Mersey. The risks posed by the busy shipping lanes, the revetment wall, numerous shipwrecks and the poor weather meant that it was crucial to bring the vessel and those on board out of harm’s way as quickly and safely as possible.
"The anglers and their boat were rescued thanks to the professionalism and teamwork between the two RNLI lifeboat crews."
