PORTLAND Coastguard was called to 11 separate incidents yesterday, including a man and two children trying to paddle from Charmouth to Seatown in an inflatable dinghy, a diver with decompression sickness, and a woman who fell near Portland Bill.

A member of the public dialled 999 after they were concerned for the welfare of a man and his two children who set off in an inflatable dinghy trying to paddle from Charmouth to Seatown.

Both West Bay and Lyme Regis immediate response teams carried out a shoreline search and found the dinghy ashore on St Gabriel’s Beach. They then gave the man advice about safety.

The coastguard was also called by South Western Ambulance Service after a woman fell near Pulpit Rock in Portland Bill.

Coastguard rescue officers helped her to a nearby beach hut and when a paramedic assessed her she was believed to have a broken wrist and was advised to attend hospital.

Dive Boat SKUA requested immediate coastguard assistance near Durlston Head in Swanage and reported a male diver was suffering from decompression sickness.

Portland Coastguard helicopter was scrambled from base and flew the casualty to the coastguard landing site in Poole, where he was met by a dive doctor and was taken by ambulance to the nearby hyperbaric recompression chamber for treatment.

Earlier that morning the coastguard was alerted when 29-foot yacht Enigma suffered from engine failure south of Hengistbury Head yesterday morning.

Local motor cruiser Lorreland volunteered her assistance and towed the yacht into Christchurch Harbour.

Sports Cruiser Alice, with three people on board, called the coastguard yesterday afternoon when the boat suffered engine failure one mile south of Durdle Door.

Local charter vessel X Dream responded to a broadcast by Portland Coastguard and towed the boat into Weymouth Harbour.

Searay boat Miss Milly Moo also broke down yesterday with five people on board.

Several local vessels, along with the Isle of Wight Coast rescue officers, helped locate the boat near Mudeford and it was towed into Christchurch Harbour by Mudeford life boat.

Coastguards were also called when a yacht called Playtime encountered difficulties after fishing net wrapped around their propellor five miles off Portland Bill.

Dive Boat Scimitar came to their assistance and a diver on board cut free the net and both vessels carried on their journeys.

In a separate incident, a passenger on 15-foot motor boat Lucy called 999 to report the boat had run aground on the spit outside Mudeford Run.

Southbourne coastguards were on route but received another call to report the motor boat had managed to refloat itself and the coastguard kept them under observation.

Yesterday evening a 999 call was received from a member of public at Cogden Beach near West Bay, who said his parents were unable to get off the beach due to medical issues.

West Bay coastguard rescue team located the couple and helped them off the stones and back to their vehicle.

They required no medical attention.

A member of the public dialled 999 after he was concerned for the welfare of his wife and daughter who had last been seen in the area of Seacombe cliffs near St Albans Head.

Dorset Police and St Albans coastguard rescue officers carried out a search but it was then confirmed that the mother and daughter had arrived home safely and had been unable to contact anyone due to lack of battery power on their mobile phone.

Later that night Wyke coastguards attended a report of a dog that had been chased over a cliff at the bottom of the owner’s garden by a deer.

The Yorkshire Terrier, named Pebbles was stuck in thick undergrowth and the owner had attempted to rescue the dog but had become stuck in brambles himself and had to abandon the attempt.

Coastguards cut their way through to the dog which was then reunited with its owner.