Danielle Lappin, Reporter

HELENSBURGH'S RNLI lifeboat went to the aid of a yacht which ran aground off Greenock - but the vessel sank later in the day.

The Belfast coastguard asked the lifeboat to launch at 8.01am on Wednesday after receiving a request for help from the owner of the 12-metre yacht, which went aground exiting the James Watt Dock.

Once on scene the crew quickly realised that they could not refloat the vessel due to the ebbing tide and the fact it was hard aground on rocks.

After landing the three people and dog on board, the lifeboat returned to base after agreeing that the workboat from the marina would attend when the vessel refloated.

But the lifeboat crew were back in action just a few hours later, after being asked to launch just before 2pm when the yacht's owner reported that it was taking on water.

The lifeboat crew attempted to pump out the water using both the lifeboat's salvage pump and also one provided by the marina.

A workboat from the marina began to stern tow the vessel off the rocks, but it became clear that the vessel was taking in more water, to such an extent that it sank when inside the dock.

A spokesperson for the Helensburgh RNLI lifeboat said: "It appeared the rocks that the vessel had been sitting on had either been plugging a hole in the hull, which had not been detected earlier, or it had sustained further damage when the yacht was towed off."

With nothing else that could be done by the lifeboat crew, and with all the people safe, the lifeboat returned to base, and reported ready for service again at 5.11pm.