A man has helped rescue his father on his yacht off the north coast of Spain -- after receiving an SOS call from his mobile phone.

Paul Sims, 34, was at home in South View, Wallingford, when his father Alan alerted him that his boat was stranded off the harbour of Luarca.

Paul immediately called 999 and was put through to the Essex coastguard, who called for Spanish help.

Three hours later, Alan was safely back on dry land after being towed into harbour.

Paul said: "It's amazing how communication is so good in this day and age. My dad couldn't contact the Spanish coastguard, so he called me instead. "He wasn't in any real danger but he was close to a harbour and, as the light faded, he could have been a risk to other vessels leaving the port."

Alan, 54, who is retired and lives in Hereford, and his partner Chrissie Borrit, were sailing across the Bay of Biscay on a month-long holiday voyage to Tenerife when their yacht's propeller became entangled with rope.

The couple could not free the propeller to use the engine and, as the wind dropped, they could not use the sails to keep going.