The crew of an Isle of Man registered tanker saved a British couple and their dog after their yacht sank in a storm.

The gas tanker was en route from the UK to Mexico when it received a distress call. The Tilda Kosan was one of three vessels in the vicinity, about 900 miles north west of Bermuda, to respond and diverted its court to search for the yacht's liferaft.

The couple and their dog, along with one Belgian crewman, had been clinging to the liferaft for hours amid 25ft waves. It took three attempts for the Tilda Kosan to get alongside and mount a rescue. Mr and Mrs Rorke from Northamptonshire, their dog Dexter and crewman Henri Worthlater, are pictured with the crew. Mr Rorke said the rescue had been 'nothing short of a miracle'.

Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry, Dick Welsh said: 'We are very proud of the actions of the Master and crew on board the Tilda Kosan. This demonstrates the skills and bravery of ship’s crew to divert from their course to rescue stricken sailors in very difficult conditions. As soon as a Mayday alert is received there is never a thought other than to go to the rescue, often in extreme conditions. We are delighted that there was a happy to ending to this incident and commend the Captain and his crew for their rescue efforts.'

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