APPLEDORE'S RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew dealt with three incidents in two days.

The first call out was on Saturday at 1.44pm following a report of two people with two dogs stranded on a sandbank off Northam Burrows, with the tide coming in.

Two RNLI lifeguards from Sandymere paddled out to the couple on rescue boards and stayed with them until Appledore's lifeboats arrived.

They were helped aboard the inshore boat with the two dogs and brought safely back to the lifeboat station.

The second incident occurred at 3:15pm on Saturday, when Appledore's all weather lifeboat, the George Gibson, was launched to aid a 26ft yacht with engine problems one and a half miles outside the Bideford Fairway Buoy.

With no wind available, the yacht required a tow back to its mooring at Instow.

The final call out was at 7.30am on Sunday.

Appledore's all weather lifeboat went to the aid of a fin keel yacht, Owens Boy, with three people on board.

The vessel had gone aground on a falling tide in the fog at Airy Point.

The boarding lifeboat was also called out when it became evident there was insufficient water for the all weather boat to get close enough.

The yacht was too firmly stuck to be towed off and the skipper used his spinnaker poles to act as legs to keep the vessel upright.

After a discussion with the volunteer lifeboat crew, those on the yacht decided to remain onboard and re-float at the next high tide which was later that evening.

Satisfied the boat was stable the lifeboat returned to the station but remained on standby in case it was needed.

Wendy Dale, Appledore's volunteer lifeboat operations manager, said the range of incidents over the weekend illustrated the diverse work RNLI volunteer crews carried out.