A YACHT that had broken free from a mooring and had run aground on the main beach in Swanage was rescued by RNLI volunteers.

Earlier today, the Swanage RNLI team's pagers rang out at 6.32am for a launch of the D-Class inshore lifeboat (ILB).

The ILB launched and arrived at the scene, where volunteers discovered that the yacht had broken free from a mooring and drifted ashore due to the Easterly wind.

Those onboard were woken up to the sound of the yacht running aground. 

The yacht was also partly tangled in the buoy line that marks the designated bathing area.

Once the buoy line was cleared, a towline was passed across and the yacht was towed out into deeper water.

The skipper then went below to check for damage and any signs of water ingress.

The skipper reported back that all was well so the towline was released and the yacht set sail for Cowes.

The ILB crew then stood down and returned to station where the boat was recovered, washed down and made ready for service.