A BOAT in distress on York's River Ouse has been saved by firefighters and York Rescue Boat - for the third time in three days.

The Curlew first got into difficulties on Friday evening when its steering failed near the Millennium Bridge, said its owner Mark Griffin, who lives on it.

He said it was brought safely to shore by rescuers and then moored just upstream of the bridge, but then as the river levels fell overnight it became stranded on its side this morning on a concrete ledge at the side of the river.

After a lengthy operation involving the use of several ropes and wires, the fire crews and rescue boat volunteers succeeded in getting the Curlew back into the water, undamaged.

But Mr Griffin said that when he later tried to sail the boat again, it ran out of diesel, because the fuel had spilled out of the tank while the boat was on its side.

He said he drifted until he was able to grab some trees on the bank across the river from where he was rescued earlier.

He was then towed by the fire service to the safety of the Foss basin, where he was able to moor it.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said: "Advice was given to the owner of the boat."

Mr Griffin revealed it was also his boat which had got into difficulties about three weeks ago in the Ouse near Blue Bridge, and had to be removed with a crane.

He said that boat had been damaged and was still in a council yard, and he had bought the Curlew to use until he knew what was happening with it.

"I've been really unlucky," he said, adding that he was concerned about what would now happen to the boat, which was again moored to the bank.