Portland Coastguards helped rescue nine broken down boats and searched for a missing child yesterday on a very busy day for the service.

At 8.52am, Exmouth Coastguard Rescue reported a dog in difficulties swimming off Exmouth Beach. Shortly after, the dog returned to the beach unaided.

Just after 10am, a 15 foot speedboat with three people on board broke down off Durdle Door on a passage from Weymouth the Lulworth Cove.

The boat suffered gearbox failure, and Weymouth RNLI launched and towed the vessel back to Weymouth Harbour, where the people on board were met by Wyke Coastguard Rescue Officers. Coastguards gave the crew advice on having the correct lifesaving equipment, correct clothing and the use of VHF radio.

At 12.24pm, Portland Coastguard assisted in the rescue of two people on board a broken down yacht.

The eight meter vessel, called mousetrap, suffered engine failure and the crew were unable to sail off St Albans Head on a passage from Dartmouth to Lymington.

A motor cruiser called Bluebird initially responded to Portland Coastguard’s appeal for help from local vessels, but was unable to tow the yacht when it arrived at its aid.

The Swanage RNLI lifeboat was then launched and towed the yacht to Swanage Bay.

Just before 2pm, the skipper of the dive boat Cutlass requested immediate assistance after a female diver suffered symptoms of decompression sickness.

The incident happened to the west of Portland, and the Coastguard Helicopter was scrambled from base and airlifted the casualty to Poole.

Once in Poole, the woman was met by a dive doctor and quickly taken by land ambulance to the nearby Hyperbaric Recompression Chamber for treatment.

Portland Coastguards launched a search after a child was reported missing by her mother at Branksome Chine.

The incident happened just before 3.30pm, and local coastguards and lifeguards were passed a description of the child before searching the immediate area.

The child was then found by the search team and reunited with her mother.

Five people on board a 27 foot motor vessel alerted Coastguards after the boat started taking on water and was in danger of sinking.

The incident happened at 4.11pm off Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. The local lifeboat was launched and once on scene assisted in bringing the water influx under control.

The lifeboat then towed the vessel and the two adults and three children on board to Poole Town Quay.

All on board were uninjured.

At 4.40pm, coastguards were alerted to an 18 foot motorboat that was stranded after running out of fuel.

The motorboat, called Deep Blue, had five people on board when it ran out of fuel in Weymouth Bay. The local yacht Dark Star towed the motorboat back to Weymouth where the tow was taken over by the Weymouth Harbour RIB.

Just before 8pm, Portland Coastguards received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting a small dinghy with three people on board had suffered engine failure 100 meters offshore from Freshwater Beach in Burton Bradstock.

As details were being collated, a second craft had gone alongside the casualty and rescued the dinghy.

At 9.28pm, Portland Coastguards tasked the Exmouth Coastguards and RNLI team after reports of four men on a makeshift raft on the Rive Exe.

After a search of the area, nothing was found but it was later confirmed the four men had made it to shore safely.

At 9.55pm, Lyme Regis RNLI and West Bay Coastguards were tasked after numerous 999 calls from concerned members of the public who reported a dinghy in the water off West Bexington.

The dinghy came ashore before the lifeboat was launched, and coastguards gave the person on the dinghy some safety advice.

Just after 10pm, Portland Coastguards tasked Mudeford RNLI to launch after a 17 foot dory boat broke down off Hengistbury Head.

The motor cruiser Sabre Talk responded to a broadcast by Portland Coastguard and located and stood by the vessel until the lifeboat arrived on scene, which then towed the casualty vessel to Christchurch Harbour.

At 11.15pm, Wyke Coastguard Officers were tasked to Weymouth Harbour after reports of men jumping into the harbour and swimming around.

Once on scene, the men had made shore safely and appeared ok, and were given safety advice by the coastguards Just after 11.30pm, Portland Coastguards tasked Mudeford RNLI to investigate a report of a broken down boat.

The 18 foot Shetland style cabin cruiser with one person on board had broken down nearly a mile south west of Hengistbury Head.

The lifeboat located the vessel but the person on board indicated he did not require assistance and would be getting help the following day.

He was given all the relevant contact numbers by the coastguards and told to call if he needed assistance.