A boat owner has expressed his gratitude to the marine community for rescuing him and a friend after their vessel capsized.

Dale Lee said it only took three seconds for his boat to upturn as he fished with his pal Chris Lusher off St. David's Head on Sunday.

The pair were preparing to act as a safety 'crash' boat for the Bermuda Powerboat Association (BPA) Round the Island race at 1 p.m. when their own vessel started taking on water.

Mr. Lee, 51, said: "It all happened so quickly. We really had very little time to react except to cut the anchor line, set off two flares and call my son.

"It literally took three minutes for us to go under. We were fishing off the side of the boat and one minute the motor well was dry and within two to three minutes it was completely full.

"The port motor failed and the starboard motor engaged but when I pushed down on that it put us into a slow spin, which helped to flip the boat over on its side. This also trapped air though which added to its buoyancy."

He said: "The boat rolled over as I was talking to my son and I ended up in the water, still on the phone."

Twenty-five-year-old Brandon Lee relayed the emergency to Bermuda Maritime Operations (Harbour Radio) at 12.30 p.m. and a Mayday was issued.

The first boat to respond was the Spirit of Bermuda which found Mr. Lusher in the water and Mr. Lee clinging to the hull.

Crew helped Mr. Lusher aboard and when the Marine Police arrived they picked up Mr. Lee.

Two pleasure craft, one of which was owned by John Trimingham, also attended the Mayday and helped to tow the powerboat ashore to Tucker's Bay.

Mr. Lee, a businessman from Hamilton Parish, said he and Mr. Lusher were in the water less than 20 minutes, but that the temperature was "comfortable, like being in a bathtub".

Both men were uninjured and were taken ashore to Penno's Wharf by the Marine Police boat Rescue 3.

Mr. Lee said: "We remained calm. We knew there were boats in the area and that a phone call had been made, so it was only a matter of time before we got picked up.

"But we are very grateful to the Spirit, the Police and the two boats that heard our distress. The response could not have been any more professional.

"I have nothing but the highest praise for everyone involved. It was just an all-round performance that was amazing to watch.

"But that's what mariners do when they hear another in distress, it's an unwritten law."

The upturned vessel, a 28-foot Sea Fox not a Pursuit as reported in yesterday's The Royal Gazette is to be examined by Chris Roque of the Spar Yard boatyard today.

Mr. Lee said last night: "Tomorrow we are going to investigate to try and find out what happened, but it was definitely mechanical, because the highest speed we attained was eight knots in trolling."

The irony of the situation was not lost on the boat owner.

"I had volunteered the boat as a crash boat and Chris and I had discussed what we would do if a boat flipped up," said Mr. Lee.

"We planned a safety manoeuvre, so it was just so strange that it was us who actually went over."