A yacht with three people on board needed help after it suffered engine failure off Gimblet Rock, near Pwllheli.

The 10-metre vessel had been sailing from Ireland early on Tuesday morning when it got into difficulty around half a mile south of the beach and was unable to make safe progress.

The RNLI at Pwllheli sent out its all-weather lifeboat at just after 5.30am and found the yacht's crew, who were all wearing lifejackets, but becoming increasingly fatigued and unable to resolve the situation themselves.

The yacht was towed back with its crew safely to Pwllheli Marina.

The early morning shout was the first as a coxswain for Anton Hook, who volunteers at Pwllheli lifeboat station.

He said: "It was a privilege to take command of the all-weather lifeboat for my first service as Coxswain and I'm incredibly proud of how our volunteer crew responded."

"The yacht's crew had done exactly the right thing by wearing lifejackets and seeking assistance when they realised that they could no longer resolve the situation themselves."

"Thanks to the teamwork and professionalism of everyone involved, we were able to bring all three sailors safely into Pwllheli Marina."

He added: "Training for the coxswain role takes a great deal of commitment and support from fellow crew members, so it was a proud moment to complete my first call-out in command. I'd like to thank the crew, shore crew and HM Coastguard for their support throughout the service."

An RNLI Pwllheli spokesperson added: "The incident highlights how even well-prepared experienced sailors can find themselves requiring assistance at sea."

"In this case, the crew had the appropriate safety equipment, were wearing lifejackets and contacted the coastguard when they recognised that they were unable to safely resolve the situation themselves."