An elderly fisherman told yesterdayday how he and his brother-in-law were dramatically rescued after their boat capsized.

Derek Ling, 72, and Ivan Beckett, 61, were rescued by a passing tug boat after they spent nearly an hour in freezing water.

Eventually they were rescued by two Harwich men who were in a passing tug. Capt Rod Shaw, of Harwich Lifeboat, said: "They were very lucky people."

He said if the pair had spent another 10-15 minutes in the water their lives would have been in danger.

Mr Ling said he and his brother-in-law, who are both from Ipswich, set out at 7am on Tuesday to catch fish to give to pensioners.

He added: "After we pulled one of the nets in Ivan slipped and capsized us. Between us we up-righted the boat but it was full of water. I had water boots on and couldn't kick them off."

After the boat capsized at 8.20am, Mr Ling then struggled to empty the boat of its equipment to make it lighter and to get the water out.

Mr Ling, who has 60 years' experience in boats, said: "It must have taken me nearly an hour to get the water down enough.

"I had to make an effort to get Ivan in as he started to go off."

Once they were both back in the boat, Mr Ling carried on bailing water out, but thick fog meant no-one nearby could see their plight.

A container boat eventually saw them but it was too big to help. It rung Harwich Harbour and a passing tug then picked them up and took them to safety.

Mr Ling said Mr Beckett was semi-conscious and he did not remember anything after being placed in the Felixstowe-based tug.

Mr Beckett is still in Colchester General Hospital where he was yesterday in a "comfortable" condition.

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