A MULTI-AGENCY response saw the rescue of a fisherman from a vessel who needed medical assistance after potentially suffering a broken ankle.

Lyme Regis Coastguard and the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat teamed up to evactuate the injured man from his fishing boat and into the hands of medical professionals.

The RNLI lifeboat was called out at 11.40pm on Sunday, May 2 after a report of a medical emergency on a fishing boat approximately 6 miles south of Lyme Regis.

The lifeboat located the vessal and two crew members went aboard to asses the fisherman and treated him. The man had suffered a potential broken ankle.

A spokesman for the Lyme Regis RNLI said: "The casualty, a fisherman from Brixham had suffered from a potential broken ankle.

"The volunteer crew administered first aid on board the fishing boat then assisted the casualty onto the lifeboat where he was taken back to Lyme Regis harbour and passed to ambulance crew for further assessment and treatment."

The Lyme Regis Coastguard was called at around 1pm to assist the RNLI lifeboat to help with the evacuation of the crewman from a fishing vessel.

A spokesman from Lyme Regis Coastguard, said: "The initial response team was asked by the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew to assist them getting an ambulance safely into the inner harbour area of The Cobb due to the sheer amount of people in the area.

"The RNLI lifeboat had been called some time earlier to evacuate an unwell crewman from a commercial fishing vessel - nine miles south of Lyme Regis.

"Once the lifeboat crew had handed the casualty over to the ambulance service, we continued on with the high readiness patrol."

The crews returned to the harbour at 2pm.