FIVE people had to be rescued by the RNLI after a 28-metre yacht got into difficulties near St Albans Head on Monday evening.

The call for assistance came into Swanage Lifeboat Station at 7.10pm.

The yacht's tender had capsized during rainy weather.

A spokesperson for the RNLI said that either the painter from the tender or the yacht's anchor line was fouling the propeller, meaning that they were drifting east quickly with the flood tide.

The ship's skipper was rescued onto the station's Shannon Class All Weather Lifeboat as he had been in the tender and the other four were able to stay on the yacht as it was towed back to Swanage.