DRAMATIC video and photographs have emerged on social media of the rescue of former Watchet Post Office and shop manager Alfie Wright after his yacht ran aground on a notorious coastline in Cornwall.

Mr Wright lived on his 42-foot yacht Penn-Ultimate in the town’s harbour when he ran the store in Swain Street, but he recently left Watchet and was sailing to Padstow when the mishap occurred.

He told rescuers he ‘took a wrong turn’ in the dark and ran aground on Polzeath beach along the Camel estuary to Padstow.

He was thought to have confused lights in Polzeath with those of Padstow and mistaken a defibrillator green light for a navigation aid.

The incident happened as Mr Wright crossed a stretch of water which used to be known as ‘Hell Bay’.

The error led to a dangerous rescue mission by Cornish Coastguards and lifeboat crews who took Mr Wright to safety and secured his yacht until efforts could be made to refloat the vessel on the following day’s high tide.

It took two attempts before a harbourmaster boat eventually towed the yacht to Padstow for an inspection of any damage.

The keel of Mr Wright’s vessel grounded in the shallow water and Penn-Ultimate became stuck on the sands at the mercy of waves which tossed it around throughout the night.

Hundreds of local residents turned out to watch the spectacle, some of whom initially tried to help rescue the stranded vessel.

Coastguards secured the beach with a cordon to keep people at a safe distance and three of the Polzeath team put on dry suits to go into the water to help Mr Wright to reach the shore, while lifeboats from Padstow and Rock stood off beyond the surf in case they were needed.

A Padstow Coastguard spokesperson said: “When the teams arrived, the tide had already dropped and the vessel was in shallow waters.

“Members of the Polzeath team used a water rescue technique to first liaise with the skipper and then to safely bring him back to the beach.

“The teams carried out crowd control and kept members of the public at a safe distance from the vessel.

“Following discussions among all parties involved, it was agreed that the safest option was to wait for the tide to come back in and then relaunch the vessel.”

The next day, a Padstow harbourmaster boat crew attached a line to the Penn-Ultimate while the beach was closed and RNLI lifeguards kept people at a safe distance as the rescue operation was carried out on the afternoon tide.

Polzeath beach ranger Andy Stewart said refloating the Penn-Ultimate overnight had been considered but was thought too dangerous and a decision was taken to wait until daylight.

Mr Stewart said: “It is lucky that the boat is still in one piece with the swell we have been having.

“If it had run up on the rocks, it would have been a different story.”

We have not been able to contact Mr Wright.