A potential tragedy was averted over the Bank Holiday weekend when six local people were rescued from the River Cleddau.

An hour later they were involved in another incident and at least one person went into the water again and had to be rescued.

Afterwards, a strong warning was issued by Milford Haven Coastguards over the dangers of drinking before or during a boat trip. And a spokesman said the six were lucky to be alive.

One was taken into custody and a police spokesman confirmed he had accepted a fixed penalty notice for causing alarm, harrassment or distress to others.

The four men and two women were spotted after their 17ft rigid inflatable capsized opposite the Jolly Sailor, at Burton Ferry, around 9.30pm on Saturday.

Chris Campbell, landlord of the Jolly Sailor, said: "A customer came in from the garden and said a boat had capsized and people were in the water. I saw three people hanging on to an upturned dinghy and another two had tried to swim to some moored boats. I immediately rang Milford Haven Port Authority.

"We saw the upturned boat floating on the tide towards the Cleddau Bridge and then the tide seemed to be taking them back again."

Bob Chappell, of Hill Mountain, who was at the Jolly Sailor, went to their rescue.

"I went with another customer, who said he was an ex-RNLI member, in his small dinghy from the pontoon and picked up one person from the water. We took him to a little cruiser where there were two women and then he asked to be taken back to the jetty to pick up his dory."

In the meantime, the Port Authority's new pilot cutter Skomer, Angle inshore lifeboat and Dale Coastguard were called out.

The tug Sarah Gray was on scene first and rescued three men - two middle-aged and one in his 20s - clinging to the upturned dinghy.

The two girls had already been picked up by the dory and the three men asked to be transferred to that boat.

What happened later is rather confused.

Coastguards received a report from the yacht Liberty, that a person was seen falling from the dory and the Liberty had picked up a man.

But police were told all six had gone into the river again.

Three people were dropped off on shore near Landshipping.

And Angle Lifeboat, which had been asked to follow and make contact with the dory, reported that it had gone off upstream at speed in an erratic manner, with the inflatable in tow.

By the time the dory reached Black Tar Point, Llangwm, police and coastguards were waiting for the hapless sailors.

"It was established that the people, who were local, were safe," said a coastguard spokeswoman. "Although some were in survival suits, they had initially been in the water for 45 minutes and were suffering the effects of cold but declined medical attention.

She added: "Alcohol appeared to have had a significant influence on boat handling skills in this incident and the people in the water appear to have been drinking before falling off the inflatable."