The Looe Island ferry boat and its passengers had to be rescued by the town's two lifeboats after becoming grounded on the island this week.

The ferry was taking holidaymakers and provisions to St George's Island at around 5.30pm on Tuesday when the incident happened in rough conditions.

'Contact was made with Looe operations manager shortly after the ferry became beached,' said spokesman Laurie Watson.

David Haines, Looe RNLI operations manager said: 'A wave caught her and put her across the beach broadside, but at no time were the passengers in any danger.'

Both lifeboats were launched to assist as the ferry was unable to refloat because the tide was ebbing. The Atlantic Class lifeboat towed her off to deeper water in southerly force five to six winds and a heavy swell.

The ferry was then able to make its own way back to harbour where the passengers were returned safely to Looe quayside.

The three passengers were returned to the mainland because if the ferry had been damaged they could have been left stranded on the island.

Mr Watson added: 'It went like clockwork, like they have been trained to do.

'The ferry was inspected and there was no damage to it.'

n It wasn't the only call-out of the day, the first came at 11.30am when the Atlantic Class lifeboat Alan & Margaret was launched following a report of two canoeists in the water off Portwrinkle, Whitsand Bay.

A helicopter from RNAS Culdrose spotted the pair clinging to nearby rocks and airlifted them to safety.

The alarm had been raised by a walker on the beach at Portwrinkle who saw the empty canoe floating in the water.