Police confirmed at 6pm on Friday that the third person on a boat that capsized in heavy seas off Whitby had died.

Earlier, it was confirmed that a man and a woman had died.

The third person, a man, was taken to Scarborough Hospital where he was pronounced dead this evening.

The three, believed to be from the Cleveland area, were thrown into the water after their 22ft cabin cruiser capsized in heavy seas.

Lifeboatman Glenn Goodberry saw the craft going past the station and tried three times to hail to craft to warn them of the danger. When they got no reply they launched immediately.

Humber Coastguard was alerted to the incident when the woman onboard the small-engined craft phoned saying they were in difficulty at around midday today.

Whitby lifeboat pulled the two of the vessel out of the sea and the woman was picked up by an RAF Sea King helicopter.

The lifeboat crew then paramedics worked on the men before local paramedics took over.

One of the men was taken by air ambulance to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and the other was taken by road ambulance to Scarborough Hospital.

"We could not have reacted any faster and the crew worked brilliantly in very difficult conditions," said station mechanic Goodberry.

"Everyone is pretty shaken and upset but this what is what we train for."

One member of the lifeboat crew was lucky not be be swept overboard by a large wave which broke over the front of the boat. He was washed down the boat but was kept inside by safety rails at the bak of the boat.

Mike Bill, Rescue Co-ordination Centre Manager at Humber Coastguard questioned why the boat which capsized had tried to go out to sea.
"
We can't understand why these people went out in such conditions.

"We can only warn again that the sea is a killer and in these very rough conditions individuals must be aware of the risks that they take when approaching or going out on the sea."

Click here to see pictures from the incident.