THE Swanage RNLI crew were called to reports of a dinghy in trouble at the weekend.

In the first call-out of the year, a team of volunteers were tasked to crew the inshore lifeboat following calls about the dinghy, which was spotted at the southern end of Swanage Bay.

The dinghy's mast had snapped and the boat had capsized as the sailor was trying to make his way back to the sailing club.

As the lifeboat crew arrived at the temporary boathouse they could see the sailor sat on top of the all weather lifeboat's mooring buoy and his boat drifting off towards Peveril Point.

The crew brought aboard the sailor, who was cold but otherwise unharmed.

They then returned to the beach before trying to retrieve the upturned boat, quickly righting it and towing it back to shore.