POOLE lifeboat responded to ‘cries for help’ and a swimmer in difficulty over the weekend. 

The coastguard launched Poole's lifeboat at around 7.45pm on Friday, July 19, to a report of a swimmer in difficulty at Southbourne.

A RNLI Poole Lifeboat station spokesperson said: “The lifeboat was swiftly away but whilst on route news over the radio came through that the person was safe and out of the water, the lifeboat was stood down and returned to station.”

Not long after, the pagers rang out at around 5am on Saturday, July 20.

The coastguard tasked boats from Poole and Southbourne to reports of ‘cries for help’ heard at the harbour entrance near the Haven Hotel in Sandbanks.

Poole Coastguard Rescue Team and Southbourne Coastguard were on the scene searching shoreside and soon identified a person who may have been the initial casualty.

The person was brought to safety, and both boats returned to the station.

This was the 54th call-out for Poole Lifeboat station this year.