Six men were saved after a wind farm support vessel hit a submerged object and began taking in water.

The drama happened off the coast of Whitstable yesterday morning.

The 21-metre wind farm transfer craft CWind Tempest had two crew and four turbine technicians on board when it hit the object and started sinking near the Vattenfall wind farm off the coast of Whitstable.

The Sheerness RNLI all-weather lifeboat the George and Ivy Swanson was launched at 10.05am after an emergency call to UK Coastguard and joined the Whitstable lifeboat and another wind farm vessel 35 minutes later.

Two crew members from the Sheerness lifeboat were put on board the Tempest with a salvage pump and another pump from the Whitstable lifeboat.

They began pumping out the seawater.

RNLI spokesman Vic Booth said: “The craft eventually floated free and the damaged compartment was sealed.

"The skipper then sailed the badly-listing vessel under its own power at slow speed to Whitstable. Both lifeboats escorted it to safety.”

The four technicians who had been working on the Kentish Flats site were transferred to Ramsgate Harbour.

The Tempest was finally secured alongside the quay in Whitstable Harbour at 1.10pm.

The Sheerness lifeboat was back on station at 2.30pm.

Vattenfall spokesman Jason Ormiston said a full investigation will be held.