Four people managed to escape with their lives from this disaster as the boat they were sailing in erupted in flames.

The drama unfolded at 3.45pm on Saturday just outside Dún Laoghaire Harbour in Dublin Bay, and thankfully the people on board the 11-metre pleasure craft managed to call the Coast Guard reporting that there was a fire on board.

Dún Laoghaire RNLI was alerted by the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Dublin and a lifeboat was launched.

Four people managed to escape with their lives from this disaster as the boat they were sailing in erupted in flames.

It arrived at the boat, which was in flames, at around 3.56pm.

RNLI volunteers said the dramatic rescue was completed by its inshore lifeboat crew within just 13 minutes of them being alerted.

Dún Laoghaire RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat monitored the condition and location of the burning vessel until the arrival of a firefighting tugboat from Dublin Port.

The fire was extinguished but the boat sank at around 5.15pm. The cause of the blaze is not known.

Paul Cummins, of Dún Laoghaire RNLI, commented: ‘The skipper on the boat had acted responsibly and followed correct safety procedures, prioritising the safety of his passengers in this difficult situation.

‘Without his quick action, today could have taken a very different turn.’