BOAT users and fisherman are being urged to follow safety procedures on the water after two incidents within three hours.

Rhyl RNLI crews launched twice on Sunday, July 21, with the first call was to a small inflatable boat with three persons on board off Llanddulas, and the second immediately after was to a speedboat with two people on board having engine trouble off Prestatyn.

The initial callout was requested by the UK Coastguard at Holyhead on at about 12.45pm, after their mobile patrol in Rhos-on-Sea reported a small dinghy about a mile and a half out from Llanddulas, appearing to be in trouble.

The all-weather lifeboat 'Lil Cunningham' was launched in fairly choppy sea to the reported location of the boat with three fishermen drifting erratically.

The lifeboat found the boat with the three persons happily drifting whilst fishing, although they did not have lifejackets, radio or flares, but they said that they were fine.

As all were ok, the lifeboat crew returned to Rhyl and had just recovered the boat and were taking it into the boathouse, when the Coastguard requested the boat to re-launch, this time to a small speedboat having engine trouble somewhere off Rhyl at 2.35pm.

Coxswain Martin Jones said: "The first casualties were not prepared for an emergency should they get into trouble, but the second casualty was prepared, but was not calling for assistance on the emergency distress VHF channel 16, where the Coastguard could hear him better.

“We strongly advise all they who go to sea should be familiar with emergency and safety procedures and wear lifejackets at all times.”

The crew launched again, and this time the boat owner had a VHF radio, and his position was ascertained by Prestatyn RNLI lifeguards as being off the Nova Centre, Prestatyn.

The lifeboat crew returned to the station at 4.40pm.