VOLUNTEER lifeboat crews searched for over six hours in freezing fog and dangerous conditions to free a two-man vessel stuck in the river Severn. Life The Severn Area Rescue Association, based at Sharpness, was called to a rescue at 3.10am on Tuesday, November 16 in which a vessel had struck an underwater object.

Geoff Dawe, coxswain of the SARA crew, said: "Conditions were quite horrendous, visibility was nil due to very thick fog exacerbated by the darkness.

This hampered our search for the vessel as both of our lifeboats which had launched from Sharpness Lifeboat Station, were only able to proceed at walking pace having no visibility whatsoever.

"Coupled to a falling tide which was exposing rocks and sand banks, and the freezing conditions, the lifeboat crews faced severe difficulties."

The search continued until 9.30am when, due to falling tides, the lifeboats could not carry on.

They launched again at 12.15pm and located the vessel, which has managed to float off the sand bank it had got stuck on. The lifeboats returned the vessel and two-man crew, who were unharmed, to Oldbury.