THE Whitby harbour watchkeeper told an inquest on Wednesday that he was horrified to see a small boat going out of the harbour into stormy seas.

An off-duty police officer tried to warn the crew, and used his mobile phone to alert the Coastguard. A lifeboat was on the scene in seven minutes and an RAF Sea King helicopter was there quickly.

Despite all their efforts, the three people in the pleasure boat died.

They were Andrew Carrick, 45, his girlfriend Jill Russell, 48, and his brother, John Carrick, 36. All were from Middlesbrough. The accident was on November 23 last year.

Sgt Peter Fitzgibbon, from Bedfordshire, was on holiday when he witnessed the tragedy and tried to assist, despite the threat to his own life. He was praised for his bravery by the coroner, Richard Watson.

Sgt Fitzgibbon spoke of seeing the 24ft boat approach the harbour mouth into rough waters. The boat hit two or three waves, went vertical and two people fell out.

He dialled 999, ran down the pier and shouted to the brothers to swim to each other; neither was wearing a lifejacket. The officer was engulfed by water and managed to hold on to something but the phone was cut off. He then saw the boat airborne and one man sucked under by an enormous wave. When that man surfaced, he was pulled onto the Whitby lifeboat.

Gary Pearson, harbour watchkeeper, said he was horrified when he saw the small boat going out; he got straight onto the lifeboat station. Attempts to reach the boat by radio were not successful.

Howard Fields, lifeboatman, said the drama unfolded extremely quickly -it took just seven minutes from the rescuers spotting the vessel to the lifeboat reaching the drowning crew.

William Estill, harbour master, said there was no legislation that required the owner of a small boat to have a working radio system or for it to be tuned to the emergency channel. But he said it was standard practice and advisable.

He also said it was inadvisable, but not illegal, for the crew to not wear lifejackets.

Mr Estill said: "I've been a harbour master now for 17 years and I have been involved in all sorts of things there and I have never seen the lifeboat crew move so quickly to get the boat out of the harbour and make a rescue. It really was an exemplary exercise."

A transcript was submitted of a mobile phone call between Miss Russell and the Coastguard: Coastguard: The people that went overboard - have they got lifejackets on?

Jill Russell: Yes Coastguard: Have you got a lifejacket on?

Jill Russell: Yes Coastguard: Are you clipped on to the boat as well as having a lifejacket on?

Jill Russell: I am not.

The call then ceased.

The inquest will continue at Scarborough County Court on July 16. It was adjourned until then to allow for the completion of an investigation by the Marine Accidents Investigation Board.