A motor boat began taking on water after it struck a rock while leaving Dartmouth harbour yesterday afternoon.

It is believed the 42-foot vessel hit the Bear’s Tail rock as she left the port shortly after low tide at 4.30pm, leaving a hole below the boat’s waterline.

Dart Harbour Authority officers raced to the scene, closely followed by the RNLI Dart Lifeboat crew armed with a salvage pump.

The Lifeboat took over the tow from the smaller Dart Harbour RIB, rapidly taking the boat to Darthaven Marina to be lifted out of the water.