Newquay RNLI lifeguards paddle 13km with a 50kg mannequin aboard

Thirteen kilometres of open coast, a single rescue board and a 50kg passenger who never once said thank you. That was the shape of the challenge the Newquay RNLI lifeguards set themselves this summer, paddling the full stretch of coastline they patrol with a rescue mannequin strapped across the board.

13km from Mawgan Porth to Crantock

The team paddled the length of every lifeguarded beach in Newquay, working their way along the coast from Mawgan Porth in the north down to Crantock in the south. The mannequin, a dead weight of 50kg, rode on the board for the entire 13km, standing in for the casualties the lifeguards are trained to bring back to shore.

Paddling a loaded rescue board across that distance is no small ask. It is the kind of effort that turns a familiar patch of water into a serious test of stamina, and it doubled as a reminder of what the job asks of the people who do it every day through the season.

Marking 25 years of RNLI lifeguards

The paddle was staged to mark Lifeguard Appreciation Day and to celebrate 25 years of RNLI Lifeguards. The challenge was built around the dedication, teamwork and commitment that the service leans on, from the first flag planted in the sand to the last patrol of the day.

Newquay sits at the centre of that story. Its beaches draw huge numbers of visitors and surfers through the summer, and the lifeguards covering them are a familiar sight from Mawgan Porth round to Crantock.

How to support the challenge

The team has thanked everyone who cheered them on, donated, or helped make the paddle happen, saying the support means a great deal to them.

Anyone who still wants to back the effort can give through the lifeguards’ JustGiving campaign page. Every donation, whatever the size, goes towards helping the Newquay RNLI lifeguards keep saving lives at sea.