A POD of dolphins swam alongside the all-weather lifeboat in Swanage as it was launched to help a yacht which had broken down.

Both the boats from Swanage Lifeboat Station were required to help just before 12.10pm which an urgent call from a vessel which had become caught on something which was holding it to the seabed to the south of Peveril Ledge.

The Shannon all-weather lifeboat headed to the scene and caught on camera the moment that the dolphins swam alongside before the lifeboat crew attached a tow and brought it into calmer waters in Durlston Bay.

They could not establish what had caused the yacht to get into difficulty.

Lifeboat volunteers waited while the yacht’s skipper checked the engine and steering, before they allowed the boat to continue on its journey.

Both lifeboats had returned back to the station at 1pm with a lifeboat spokesperson joking that the ‘dolphins had been assisting’ throughout the incident.