A yacht had to be rescued by a fishing boat after it ran aground on a reef on Thursday.

The Dutch-registered Nostos, a 39ft white sloop, was sailing into Bermuda when it got stuck on a reef 2.5 miles southeast of Chubb Head Beacon.

A spokesman for Bermuda Maritime Operations said the yacht called for assistance.

"We put out a broadcast on Channels 16 and 18, and the fishing vessel Challenger, which was on the northwest edge of Challenger Banks, was about seven miles away," he said.

"They came in and were able to assist the boat. They found the yacht was very deep into the reef so they had to escort it out into deeper water."

The Nostos, which had two crew on board, was then able to sail in under its own power. It is thought to have sustained minor damage to its keel.