POLICE last night began an investigation after two men drowned and a third man was injured when their boat capsized off the North-East coast.

The survivor was found clinging to the prow of the pleasure craft yesterday, half a mile off the South Gare breakwater at Redcar.

On a tragic bank holiday weekend, two other people died, one when he fell down a grassy slope and struck his head at Saltburn, the other in an accident on the Scarborough to Whitby road, in North Yorkshire.

Initial police inquiries into the Redcar drownings established that the men were in the water for between three and four hours before someone on the shore raised the alarm.

There was so little of the boat visible above water, that two people making frantic emergency calls from the shore at 3.30pm reported the incident as a jet ski in trouble, also the assumption of the Redcar Coast Watch.

Dave Cammish, of Redcar lifeboat, said: "It started with our Atlantic 75 lifeboat being launched immediately.

"He went out expecting to find a jet ski, but when he got there he called in straight away, saying it was not a jet ski, but a boat and a potential tragedy.

"They managed to recover the man who was sitting on the prow of the boat. He indicated there were two others missing."

Five other lifeboats from Hartlepool, Teesmouth and Redcar were launched and were joined by a Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield, Lincolnshire. On land, coastguard personnel searched the shore and waterline.

The bodies were recovered from the sea. The survivor was taken to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

Mr Cammish said: "They had been in the water a considerable time - three hours or more. That is a long time to be in the water when the sea has not even started warming up yet."

Rescuers were mystified last night as to how such a tragedy could have occurred on a calm, untroubled sea.

The trio, who had taken their 20ft pleasure craft out into the bay, had not checked in with the coastguard, though there was no compulsion to do so.

Cleveland Police believe the boat experienced difficulty and capsized.

Inspector John Blake said: "An investigation has been launched by the police into the cause of this incident."

The 20-year-old who died at Saltburn slipped down a grassy slope while taking a short cut to a pub, smashing his head on a kerbstone at the bottom of the hill, said police.

The unnamed man, who is from Easington, east Cleveland, was out with friends on Saturday night.

Friends tried to render first aid until the arrival of an ambulance which took him to the James Cook University Hospital where he died.

Police said the man's identity was not being released until all his relatives had been contacted.

Last night, floral tributes were left at the scene, including one from his mother which read: "To my darling son. Good night, sleep tight, love you forever."

The fatal road crash happened on Saturday afternoon on the A171 when a Honda motorcycle was in collision with a Ford Escort near the Flask Inn.

The rider was taken to hospital but died five hours later. He was named as Jonathan Stokes, 38, of Scarborough. The car driver suffered chest injuries.

Police urged witnesses to call (01723) 509555.