A female tourist had to be rescued on Thursday after her Boston Whaler drifted out to sea near Castle Harbour when its anchor broke loose.

The woman was taking photographs while her husband and two children swam as they anchored at Castle Point around noon on Thursday.

But the chain got wrapped around the anchor and it didn't catch in the sand, resulting in it drifting off towards Charles Island while the husband and children played in the water, said a spokesman for Blue Hole Water Sports at Grotto Bay Beach Hotel, which hired out the boat.

The woman made a frantic 911 call after her boat started to drift off and the call was transferred to Harbour Radio.

An officer could see the woman through binoculars and a boat was sent out to bring her back in safely. A Blue Hole Water Sports spokesman said: "It was a simple mistake and was never really a state of emergency.

"English was her second language and she didn't know how to operate the boat as her husband was operating the boat.

"She made a 911 call. She was a bit stressed but not really panicky. "