A YACHT crewmember was rescued after 'severely injuring' his hand in an accident at sea near Durdle Door.

Weymouth's RNLI all-weather lifeboat was called to a yacht around one and a half miles south of the Durdle Door beauty spot at around 4.30pm yesterday.

It was reported that a member of the crew had 'severely injured' his hand after trapping it in a winch, causing the injured man to lose consciousness.

"The casualty was transferred onto the lifeboat and brought back to Weymouth Harbour and a waiting ambulance, arriving at 5.15pm," a spokesman for Weymouth RNLI Lifeboat Station said.

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: "Following a call at just before 5pm (yesterday), our crews treated a male patient for a suspected finger injury and transported him to hospital for further care."

Inital reports by the RNLI stated that the lifeboat responded to a casualty 'severing' their hand in an accident. A correction issued later by the RNLI confirmed that the casualty had 'severely injured' their hand.