TWO lifeboat crews and the coastguard were launched to help a jet-ski rider who had got into difficulty near Old Harry Rocks on Monday.

Both lifeboats from Swanage headed to the scene at 2.45pm, with the inshore lifeboat reaching the man first after spotting the distress flares he had fired and the crew then contacted the coastguard.

A Swanage Lifeboat Station spokesperson said that the man was experiencing vast amounts of pain after landing hard off a wave.

They added: "The jet-skier was believed to have suffered an injury, possibly a broken leg and required immediate assistance."

After a paramedic was lowered from a helicopter onto one of the lifeboats, they were taken to assess the condition of the casualty and decided that he needed to be evacuated as soon as possible.

The man was given some pain relief by the paramedic and the inshore lifeboat took the jet ski back to land while the all-weather lifeboat took the man to the landing area by the chain ferry at the entrance to Poole Harbour.

An ambulance arrived shortly after and the casualty was transferred to hospital. The all-weather lifeboat was then able to head back to Swanage.