4th March 2019. Three men were rescued from the sea off Studland Bay this weekend evening after they were thrown into the sea from their dinghy.
A member of the public had seen the three men in difficulty in the water and contacted the Coastguard at 4.30 pm by calling 999. Swanage Coastguard Rescue Team and the Swanage RNLI Lifeboat went to the scene, while the volunteers from the National Coastwatch Institute Swanage station kept a visual watch on the three dinghy sailors and provided directions.
By the time that the lifeboat arrived on scene, the three men had managed to climb onto a yacht that was at anchor. They were cold and wet but uninjured. The lifeboat retrieved the three from the yacht and took them back to shore and into the care of an awaiting ambulance.
Aimee Neale, for HM Coastguard said: “The conditions for sailing a small dinghy this afternoon were particularly challenging with a south westerly force 7-8 wind and a moderate to rough sea. We strongly recommend that people heed weather warnings and do not venture out to sea in small boats in such conditions.”