Randy the dolphin rode to the rescue on the crest of a wave after a man went overboard.

The friendly creature showed up to lend a helping flipper during a lifeboat exercise at the weekend.

He made his appearance while the seven crew members of Weymouth's Robert Edgar lifeboat were on a man overboard training exercise just off Portland's Grove Point.

Randy played around in the water with lifeboatman Dave Blower, who was acting as the man overboard, for about half-an-hour before the boat headed off.

Lifeboatman Graham Keates, 46, from Longfield Road in Weymouth said: "We were doing training for man overboard, dealing with recovering people from the water, when up he popped. Dave patted him and he was very friendly."

Randy, who is also known as Georges, has been captivating crowds since his arrival off Dorset several weeks ago.

But experts have warned that the dolphin could be killed if he is not removed to safer waters after he suffered injuries caused by the propellers of boats full of spectators.