Lifeboat crews were scrambled to help a family, including a three-year-old child, whose speedboat was left stranded on the River Medway.

Volunteers were called three times in just over 24 hours during a manic weekend, which also saw another boat's engine fail, and a dog and its owner rescued from the water.

Sheerness RNLI's inshore lifeboat was first launched just after 5.30pm on Friday after a life ring had been spotted in the river at Rochester, though it was unclear if anyone was holding onto it.

Around 15 minutes later, it became clear there was a person and a dog in the water.

The lifeboat was on the scene by just after 6pm and immediately found two life rings and two boat fenders tied together and attached to an anchor and chain, which it was presumed was what the caller had seen.

Having recovered the items from the water the crew were advised that the dog was also now safe ashore and re-united with its owner.

Later the same day the all-weather lifeboat (ALB) was launched after a call reported that a 47ft narrowboat was in trouble just East of Garrison Point in the Medway estuary.

The craft with three people on board was en route from the Northampton canal system and heading for a new home at Allington, Maidstone when its engine failed just off Sheerness.

The only method of communicating with the craft was by mobile phone as it did not have a radio system in place.

On leaving its berth in The Camber the lifeboat found the narrowboat alongside one of the Svitzer tugs moored on no.11 berth in Sheerness docks.

The casualty was secured alongside the ALB and then towed to the all tide landing at Queenborough where it was moored at 10.41pm to be met by the Sheppey Coastguard Rescue Team.

The inshore lifeboat crew launched again at 8.34pm on Saturday after a speedboat with five people on board had run out of fuel and was drifting in the River Medway near to Kingsnorth Power station.

The crew located the craft at 8.50pm close to Oakham Ness jetty and established that the three men, one lady and a three-year-old child on board were all safe before towing it to the Gillingham Marina where it was able to take on fuel at 9.43pm.