TWO crew members were saved from a sinking yacht that hit rocks in pounding seas in the early hours.

The men were rescued from the 36ft Summer Song when they ran aground at Peveril Ledge, near Swanage, on Saturday.

They raised the alarm with a mayday call to Portland Coastguard at 5.20am to report they were in heavy seas, taking on water, being blown on to rocks and in danger of sinking.

Portland Coastguard called Swanage lifeboats which plucked them to safety from the yacht.

Portland Coastguard watch manager Dominic Lonsdale said: “Within 40 minutes of the initial mayday call the casualties were safely ashore, with an ambulance en route.

“This illustrates the speed at which rescue resources are able to be despatched to those in need, and with strong easterly winds and the yacht being pounded on to rocks, this was certainly an urgent call for help.”

The crew included one man from Swanage and one man from Newbury, Berkshire.

They were taken from the yacht on to the Swanage all-weather lifeboat and brought safely back to shore where they were met by the Swanage Coastguard Rescue Team.

An ambulance was also sent to assess the casualties. The skipper suffered a fall when the vessel went aground and was badly bruised.

The yacht was washed up on to the eastern ledge and a lifeboat crew attempted to secure it before returning at daylight.

The craft sustained significant hull damage and it was not possible to pull it from the rocks.

By 9.25am on Sunday coastguards were told that the vessel had sunk.