Investigations will see if there was a cockling link to the rescue

The rescue happened just hours after the fishery was officially reopened following a four-year ban.

The cockle beds returned to use under a licensing system operated by the Solway Shellfish Management Association.

Fears have been voiced that people without licences might continue to attempt to operate in the area.

Those concerns have prompted an inquiry to establish if the weekend rescue was linked to cockling.

The alarm was raised in the early hours of Saturday morning when a distress call was made from a boat near the estuary of the River Nith, south of Glencaple.

Distress signal

The Nith inshore rescue boat was launched and they found the 14ft vessel drifting around 0130 GMT on Sunday.

A coastguard team from Portling on the Colvend Coast had also been alerted following the distress signal.

The boat was taken under tow back to Glencaple where the five men were treated for exhaustion and the effects of cold.