Emergency services were called to assist a person reported to be in the water, off Seaton beach, late on Sunday night.

Just after 11pm, he volunteer crew of Lyme Regis lifeboat received pager alerts from Solent Coastguard for an immediate launch, the highest priority launch request.

Eight minutes later the lifeboat Spirit of Loch Fyne was on the water and on its way to Seaton, arriving at 11.25pm.

On arrival, the crew found the casualty had been recovered ashore and was in the care of Beer coastguard team. The lifeboat was then stood down and returned to Lyme Regis shortly before midnight.

RNLI volunteer helm Seb Cope said: "We launched as quickly as we could because a person in the water is our most urgent call.

"Thankfully, by the time we reached Seaton the casualty had been located by Beer coastguard team and we were not faced with a shoreline search in the dark."