Burhou is a small island half a mile off Alderney’s north-west coast.

Launched at 1.45am, the Trent class all-weather lifeboat Roy Barker I was on scene in 10 minutes and the crew of the stricken 17m trawler Cap Lizard and the life raft were recovered, all uninjured, by 2.10am.

The Cherbourg-based French military helicopter Dragon 50 had been despatched, and the Guernsey fishing boat Nicola May had turned to assist until being stood down by the French coastguard agency.

The survivors, one of whom was in shock, were landed at Braye Harbour and taken by ambulance to the Mignot Memorial Hospital for check-ups. At 3.00am, they were transferred to the airport where the French helicopter was waiting to fly them to Cherbourg.

The rescue was triggered by a mayday call from the skipper of the trawler who originally reported that his boat was capsizing.

The French fishing boat Cap Lizard had floated off the rocks at midday. Salvage pumps were put onboard and the vessel was towed south of Alderney by Braye Harbour’s rigid inflatable boat and the Leopardess, Guernsey’s fisheries protection ship, to be passed to the Mona Rigolet , the French lifeboat based at nearby Goury. The handover was successfully completed shortly after 3.00pm.