Poole and Swanage lifeboats both had a very busy Saturday, with back to back calls for help. 

First to be called were the Swanage volunteers, when they were asked by the coastguard to help a motorboat that was leaking, south of St Albans Head.

The lifeboat and the Coastguard rescue helicopter made their way to the scene at full speed to discover that the leak had been identified but that the boat was disabled.  

A crew member was put onboard and the boat towed back to Poole, where the tow was handed over to the Poole lifeboat, who were on a training exercise.

But shortly afterwards Poole lifeboat were called to assist a person stuck in Wareham river, so they had to hand the motor back to Swanage.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Wareham Channel, they found 'a small rib with an elderly gentlemen on board' who had become stranded as the tide went out.  

Two volunteers had to crawl across the mud and help free the boat so it could be towed and re-floated. 

Meanwhile the Swanage volunteers had been retasked to locate and assist a broken down motorboat in Studland Bay

The location of the vessel was vague as the coatguard had no means of communication with the boat, but after a quick search it was found and towed back in to meet the Poole crew, who took it back to Cobbs Quay. 

The Swanage crew was then sent to pick up a 42’ yacht with a broken tiller about east of Durlston Head.

The yacht was taken in tow and secured to the RNLI mooring in Swanage Bay, meaning the Swanage volunteers could head to Swanage Pier to refuel. They finally came ashore at just after 6pm having spent over 7 hours at sea.

The Poole volunteers were cleaning off the mud back at the station when a Mayday call came through at 6.30pm from a 31ft yacht reporting smoke coming from its engine room, followed by a call to say "he could see flames and that they were abandoning ship"

Read about this incident here: Coastguard, lifeboats and fire service battle boat blaze off Old Harry Rocks

Both lifeboats returned back to station - but at 23:45am the pagers rang out again to a report of a person in the water in Poole Quay.

The lifeboat was immediately on scene and recovered the casualty from the water.