A LIFEBOAT crew worked against the clock to tow a stranded yacht to safety.

The 26ft yacht, with three people on board, had run aground at South Deep, the channel south of Brownsea Island.

The volunteer crew of Poole’s inshore lifeboat received a call at 4.45pm on Friday.

A member of the RNLI crew boarded the vessel and attached a towline to the stern. All aboard shifted their weight to one side as the lifeboat pulled the vessel clear and took it into deeper water.

The lifeboat crew then checked it for any leaks before it continued its journey.