Man and his dog rescued from capsized dinghy

The man and his dog were taken to safety Credit: Poole Lifeboat

Poole lifeboat volunteers were tasked by Solent Coastguard at 16.50 to a 15ft sailing dinghy that was on passage to Poole from Christchurch. As it entered the harbour it was swamped, capsizing, leaving one person and his dog in the water.

Fortunately the Brownsea Island launch ‘Castello’ was in the vicinity and scooped them up, they landed them immediately at Brownsea Island.

Poole Inshore lifeboat volunteers arrived on scene, two crew were put ashore to check that the casualties, two legged and four legged were both okay.

Meanwhile, the Harbour Master's patrol launch was standing by the stricken vessel, the lifeboat crew took the swamped vessel undertow and beached it onto the small beach, north of Brownsea, it was completely flooded. The lifeboat crew transferred the man and his dog onto the harbour launch, then began to try and pump the vessel out, using the salvage pump that the inshore lifeboat carries, but it was ineffective, as the crew were pumping out another lifeboat was entering the harbour on passage from Salcombe to Poole.

The crew radioed the Tamar lifeboat crew, to ask if they could commandeer the more powerful salvage pump that they had on board. The pump was transferred across and the Poole lifeboat crew started to pump the water out in earnest, managing to salvage the vessel.

At this point , the man and his dog had decided to stay with his vessel, so the crew attached a towline to the dinghy and took them all back to Lake Road slipway in Hamworthy.

Whilst on route, the lifeboat came across three more people in difficulty, they were on board a 14ft Fletcher speedboat that had broken down, and they found it drifting off Poole Yacht Club. The lifeboat crew secured the vessel to a buoy and radioed Solent Coastguard their position, the crew then continued taking the stricken vessel with the man and his dog, safely ashore.

They then returned to assist the hapless speedboat, by attaching a tow line, taking them also back safely ashore at Lake Road slipway.With everyone safe, the lifeboat returned back to station and was ready for service at 20.40pm.