A LIFEBOAT crew leapt into action when a fishing boat issued a mayday call.

The vessel reported that it was taking on a lot of water, and the pumps on board were unable to cope with the amount the vessel was taking on.

Two boats in the area responded to the call and stood by, in case the crew of the fishing boat decided to abandon ship.

The incident happened about four nautical miles east of Swanage at around 3.15pm on Saturday.

A spokesman for Swanage RNLI said: “The lifeboat arrived on scene in just under 10 minutes and two crew were put aboard to assess the situation.

“The vessel had a lot of water below deck and there was a serious risk that the boat might be lost. The skipper and his crew had their lifejackets on and were briefed to get on to the lifeboat if the water level increased any further.

“The lifeboat’s powerful salvage pump and an extra crewman were transferred over and a few minutes later the water was being pumped out.

“After a quick check below deck the source of the main leak was found to be a broken pipe from the engine’s cooling system meaning that the boat’s engine was pumping the water in. The engine was switched off and the boat taken in tow. Slow speed was then made towards Poole Harbour.”