Crew on a small boat got into difficulty a mile and half out of the Largs bay during windy conditions, sparking an emergency call out of the local lifeboat.

The incident happened last Wednesday at 3.10pm, and the RNLI have thanked a member of the public for raising the alarm after spotting the vessel in difficult in force three to four winds off the coast.

A member of the public raised concerns about the boat offshore, and informed the lifeboat operations manager John Griffiths who happened to be at the Lifeboat Station at the time by chance.

The boat which was approximately one and a half miles offshore as the occupants were struggling to paddle against the offshore wind.

The lifeboat operations manager activated the crew pagers and informed HM Coastguard of the situation, and the lifeboat was subsequently launched.

The decision was made that the safest option was to tow the casualty vessel back to the slipway which was the nearest safe haven.

On the successful return to the beach the lifeboat and crew carried out Covid decontamination procedures to ensure the lifeboat was ready for the next call.

John Griffiths thanked the member of the public and advises that if you see someone in trouble at sea then dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

RNLI spokesperson Alasdair Woods said: "This is a very important message, in this case, the lifeboat operations manager happened to be at the station which is normally unmanned , dialling 999 and asking for the Coastguard is by far the quickest way of getting assistance."

Pics: Ally Dowd.