It’s been a busy week for coastguards and lifeboat crew in west Dorset.

West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team was called after a person scrambled down cliffs east of the Golden Cap after their dog went over the edge.

The cliffs here are the highest point on the south coast.

Fortunately, the person and their dog were unharmed in the incident, which happened on Friday, and were safe by the time coastguards arrived but it has prompted a warning.

The coastguard recommends you always keep your dog on a lead on the cliffs and coastal paths and never attempt a self-rescue as you could be putting your life needlessly at risk/

The following day, West Bay coastguards were called to help a walker who got lost in dense undergrowth along the coast on Saturday morning.

A 67-year-old man was walking in the Spittles area, between Lyme Regis and Charmouth, when he became disorientated in the dense undergrowth of the upper cliff levels.

Unable to find a route to safety, the man dialled 999. He was found and escorted to safety in an operation involving coastguards and a lifeboat from Lyme Regis.

Those exploring the coast should ensure they are prepared by taking a fully-charged mobile phone, adequate clothing, sturdy footwear, sun protection and water.

Using a free smartphone app like ‘OS Locate’ allows you to give an accurate grid reference to emergency services, drastically cutting down the time it takes for help to get to you.

Later that night, sailors whose yacht ran into bad weather off the coast had to be rescued.

The 'tired and disorientated' pair were towed to safety by a lifeboat after calling for help.

They were on their way from Portsmouth to Salcombe in Devon but had run into worsening weather conditions, according to coastguards.

Changing course to find a safe haven, they became disorientated tired as they battled the sea and decided to call for assistance.

Lyme Regis lifeboat was launched and, though it took a while to find, the 24ft yacht was towed to West Bay, where the sailors were met by the coastguard team.

On Sunday, two people suffered medical emergencies in west Dorset.

West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team, along with ambulance and air ambulance crews, were called to help a 57-year-old man with a ‘cardiac history’ who had collapsed on the coastal path just to the east of Seatown.

Seven coastguard rescue officers were sent to the scene with ambulance crews and a defibrillator held at the Anchor Inn at Seatown was made available in case it was required.

Before arriving at Seatown car park, the rescue vehicle, which was travelling on blue lights and sirens, was flagged down by a member of the public who told officers a man was collapsed inside the caravan park.

On arrival, the rescue team became aware the man was a second casualty who also required immediate medical assistance.

Further back-up was requested and additional coastguard officers from Lyme Regis were called, while two team members from West Bay continued to Seatown to find the original casualty.

He was found to be safely in the care of the ambulance service so rescue teams returned to the caravan park to care for the second casualty.

First aid was provided and he was closely monitored until the arrival of the ambulance service who took over casualty care.

And on Monday, a swimmer was deemed to be in distress in the sea off Chesil Beach.

Eight rescue officers from West Bay attended and the RNLI Lyme Regis lifeboat was paged.

The incident was ‘a false alarm with good intent’ as the swimmer made their own way out of the water safely.