The coastguard was called after a concerned camper saw a dinghy ‘disappear.’


West Bay coastguard rescue team was called shortly after 6pm on last night to reports of a small dinghy possibly in distress around a mile offshore near Eype.


A member of the public staying at the Highlands End campsite had been observing the dinghy, which had one person on board, for some time and, became concerned when it disappeared.


Four rescue officers from the West Bay team responded and headed to the campsite. 


On arrival, a search of the area was carried out and as officers were unable to say for certainty whether anybody was in distress, they requested the launch of the Lyme Regis RNLI Lifeboat to perform a sea search of the area.


Officers later found a small vessel off the beach at Seatown which was confirmed as the vessel they were looking for. 


The man aboard reported that he was not in distress but had instead been fishing and drifting with the tide.


All assets were stood down to return to station and the incident was recorded as a false alarm with good intent. 


A spokesman for West Bay coastguard rescue team said: “The member of the public did the right thing by calling us and we want to thank him for his vigilance and concern.

"Stay safe on the coast this summer but if you think someone is in difficulty, or even if you are not sure, do not hesitate to dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.”