TWO quick-thinking men saved a young boy from drowning in Poole.

Poole Sailability volunteers Brian Hall and Roger Brankin launched the charity’s rescue boat when a boy fell out of a small inflatable dinghy some 50 metres off-shore in the Rockley Channel.

The boy, who was alone and did not have a buoyancy aid, went under the water for several seconds in the incident at around 5.30pm on Wednesday.

Mr Hall, 58, from Sturminster Newton, said: “Roger was about to strip off and dive in and get the boy when he popped up, so we reached over the side and pulled him in.”

He added: “I didn’t think much at the time but looking back it was an emergency - it was a life and death situation.”

They then brought the shivering boy, who was around nine-years-old, back to shore. Volunteers gave him blankets. He then left with two girls who said they were his sisters. They are thought to be holidaymakers.