A father has been criticised for putting his children at risk after they were rescued without lifejackets from a sinking boat.

The man launched his 12ft speedboat in Poole, Dorset, on Saturday, but when he went to return the trailer, the boat drifted into the harbour with the two children on board. He waded in after it, and as he climbed on board, the boat started taking on water through a hole where the outboard had recently been replaced.

The man dialled 999 while the sinking vessel drifted further offshore in the strong winds and tides. Eventually it was spotted by a sailing school yacht, which went alongside and took the shivering family on board. Meanwhile Poole inshore lifeboat towed the speedboat back to the slipway.

Lifeboat helmsman, Gavin McGuiness, said the man shouldn’t have been out in those conditions: ‘It was F6 to 7 and there were whitehorses in the harbour,’ he said. ‘The children had no lifejackets nor warm clothing, and if they’d ended up in the cold water, they would have been in trouble.’

The family were taken ashore where an ambulance was waiting. The children were cold but fine, and their father was treated for cuts to the feet.