Boater rescued as crashed vessel goes up in flames

A boater whose vessel crashed on to rocks and caught fire off the Dorset coast has been pulled from the sea.

RNLI, coastguard teams and firefighters were sent to Durlston Bay on Thursday at about 15:00 BST where the single engine Rigid Inflatable Boat was on the rocks with smoke pouring out.

Firefighters put out the burning hull before returning later in the evening to check the wreck again and keep cooling it. The coastguard said the boat was also checked for any pollution risk

Swanage Coastguard said the man was pulled from the sea by a passing boat before being taken into the care of coastguard teams in Poole and transported to hospital.

It added it was making inquiries to find out what had happened along with plans to recover the wreck from the shoreline.