CARDIGAN lifeboat has been called out twice in little more than 24 hours to boats in trouble.

The first call to the Poppit Sands station came through at 11.23am yesterday (Saturday, July 12) to assist a fishing vessel that was taking on water near Cemaes Head.

As the Atlantic-class lifeboat Albatross was preparing to launch the skipper of the fishing boat managed to beach it on Poppit beach.

The lifeboat crew assisted the vessel with a salvage pump and once a temporary repair was made the vessel made its way over the bar and onto its mooring at St Dogmaels with the lifeboat in attendance.

It returned to station at 12.30pm.

Today (Sunday, July 12) the lifeboat crew were again paged to go to the aid of a vessel with five people on board that had broken down with engine problems and was drifting off Aberporth,

The call was made at 2.04pm and the lifeboat launched at 2.18pm and arrived at the vessel at 2.25pm.

The vessel was taken in tow and returned to the pontoon at Patch, where it was secured for repairs to be carried out.

The lifeboat returned to station at 3.45pm.

On both occasions the crew were assisted by coastguard teams from Cardigan and Moylegrove.