RNLI volunteers spent over six hours at sea rescuing a trawler facing difficulties.

Swanage's lifeboat crews were kept busy on Saturday, October 1, when they were called to assist a drifting trawler that had suffered 'catastrophic' gearbox failure.

A group of six volunteers launched and, with bumpy conditions, arrived just under an hour later.

The crew then had to extend their tow-line the full 200m length in order to pull the 156-tonne trawler - more than eight times the weight of the lifeboat.

After five hours of towing, the two vessels approached Poole Harbour with a volunteer crew from the RNLI called to assist in the final stages.

Using the power of the lifeboat's water jets and the bow thruster from the trawler the two boats were finally secured alongside the quay wall just after midnight.

Swanage Lifeboat Coxswain Dave Turnbull said: ‘To assist a vessel over 8 times the weight of our own lifeboat and nearly twice as long was certainly a challenge.

"The capability of our Shannon class lifeboat came into its own with its powerful engines combined with water jets and performed brilliantly when placing the vessel alongside.

"It was a long day and night for our volunteers but we were pleased to be able to get this vessel and her crew to a point of safety.’