TWO sailors have been branded heroes after their quick thinking saved three people from drowning in the Solent.

The pair, from Stokes Bay sailing club near Gosport, plucked three people out of the water on Saturday, April 29 after their speedboat sank just off Gilkicker in the Solent.

The duo, who don’t want to be named, were passing in their two-man dinghy just before 2pm when they spotted the vessel in trouble.

A large wave smashed the windscreen on their speedboat, which then began to fill with water.

Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) when then called to the scene after the dinghy lost its rudder, leaving it stranded.

Talking about the rescue, Brian Pack, of GAFIRS, said: “The vessel had sunk so quick the casualties were not even able to raise the alarm.

“It was thanks to the quick actions of the two dinghy sailors before we arrived, who had realised the speed boat was in trouble, that these three people were pulled from the water.

“They showed exceptional skill and courage to pluck them out and into their small dinghy, in blustery conditions, without endangering their own craft.

“The casualties were extremely lucky that the passing dinghy spotted them and was able to help – otherwise this serious situation could have got a lot worse very quickly.”

The three sailors, two of whom were suffering from hypothermia, were handed over to ambulance crews for treatment.