Four people and a dog have been rescued from a sinking boat.
The five-metre (16ft) vessel got into trouble a mile (1.6km) off Hartlepool’s shore at about 16:10 BST on Sunday.
The crew and animal were helped by the skipper of another boat and two lifeboat teams, Hartlepool RNLI said.
The stricken craft was escorted back to land after a salvage pump was used to clear the water it had taken onboard.
Hartlepool RNLI coxswain Robbie Maiden praised the “quick response and great teamwork”.
“We must say thank you to the skipper of the pilot boat and the local coastguard team for their assistance,” he added.
