TWO people were rescued from their stricken yacht after rope got caught in the propeller.

Poole RNLI sent out its lifeboat crew to Studland Bay on Tuesday afternoon to recover the 31ft vessel.

Faced with icy winds and sleety showers, they managed to arrive quickly on scene at around 3pm. A crewman worked on freeing the rope that was around the propeller.

The lifeboat crew asked the yacht skipper to check the gears to see if the vessel could move forwards, or engage the gears. The boat did not respond, so a tow rope was attached.

The inshore lifeboat then towed the boat with the pair on board back to their mooring just off Salterns Marina.

For one crew member, Rachel Bentley, it was her first call out.

A spokesperson for Poole RNLI said: “Rachel has completed her basic training and had gone out on what appeared to be a relatively straightforward job.

“But the elements had other ideas, with icy blasts, biting north-westerly winds and sleety snow squalls – not quite April showers, but a memorable first job for the new recruit.”

As the lifeboat crew headed back through the entrance to Poole Harbour, lightning flashed across the sky, buffeted by a driving sleet gusting off the water.

Once the vessel was safely moored, the crew returned back to the station at around 5pm.