Thanks again for saving our lives, lads!

From left: Darren Moore, Kenny Hargreaves and Frans Schaap are reunited with the men they rescued - Mark Thackery and Geoff Porter. Picture: Alan Duggan

Mark Thackery, 49, of Ribbleton, Preston and Geoff Porter, 66, of Longridge, were enjoying an angling trip off Rossall Point when the situation rapidly turned hazardous.

Within a only a minute their vessel had sunk and they found themselves struggling in choppy waters.

But just as they were starting to tire after 20 minutes, they were spotted by three fishermen out on a whelking trip in the catamaran Pisces, and rescued.

The Fleetwood catamaran Pisces was involved in a life-saving rescue off Rossall Point in Fleetwood.

Frans Schaap, 47, skipper Darren Moore, 46 and Kenny Hargreaves, 47 used their combined experience at sea to bring the pair to safety.

On Sunday, the anglers travelled back to Fleetwood to thank the trio.

HGV driver Mark said: “It’s good to meet up with them here in Fleetwood, now that we’re warm and dry!

“When we saw that boat we were shouting and screaming like mad. I’ve never been so happy to see someone.”

And retired HGV driver Geoff said: “I was struggling and I was worried, but when I saw that boat it gave me a new lease of life and we just screamed - it was so good when they arrived.”

Mark described how their boat sank so quickly they didn’t have time to put life jackets on.

He said: “We got the anchor caught in the propellor and it shifted the boat around so the lower end was facing the waves. In three big splashes the boat was gone and we were in the water,”

Kenny said: “Between the three of us we knew what to do - it could have been tricky.”