Rescue party rescued Weymouth's Arun class lifeboat Tony Vandervell, a naval helicopter and the destroyer HMS Edinburgh were all involved in an incident where three fishermen were airlifted to safety from their sinking trawler Dunlin on 6 February this year.

Seven miles west of Portland Bill lighthouse, a rescue party of four men from HMS Edinburgh, on exercise in the area, went aboard the Weymouth trawler with water pumps in an attempt to keep her afloat.

Then, as Dunlin began to go under, the rescue party were forced to evacuate by jumping into the sea. The photo shows the scene just as the men were about to be picked up by Weymouth lifeboat.

Photo Bill Macey.