AN INQUIRY is under way after a young man died as a car carrying five people plunged into Poole Harbour.

The accident happened just before 1am on Saturday when the silver Mitsubishi Lancer was travelling north along the A350 Holes Bay Road and left the highway just north of the junction with Sterte Road West.

Three local men and two local women, whose names and ages have not been released by police but who are thought to be in their 20s, were travelling in the car.

Firefighters waded into the water to rescue four of the casualties, but the RNLI was called out to help them search the muddy water for the final male passenger.

Gavin McGuinness, helmsman of the inshore lifeboat, said that as he and two colleagues arrived at the scene, they could see four wheels sticking out of the water. "The fire brigade believed there was nobody in the car and asked us to do a search of the water," he said.

"We located a gentleman who was about a foot under the water, face down. I entered the water and pulled him to the surface and dragged him towards the shore, where two firefighters met him and we carried him to the paramedics."

He added that the man, who seemed to be in his early 20s, had a gash to his head and did not appear to be breathing.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the man, and took him to Poole Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The other passengers were also seriously injured and the male driver escaped with slight injuries.

Dorset Police, who closed the road off until around 10am on Saturday, are appealing for witnesses to the accident and anyone with information to call the road policing unit at Ferndown on 01202 222222.