Exhausted rowers towed into Newlyn after 59 days at sea

Dawn Smith and Paul Lore had rowed almost the width of an ocean under their own strength, more than 2,000 miles from Canada, when the tide turned against them a single mile from the Cornish coast.

📷Credit: RNLI/Patch Harvey

Called out after 11pm, one mile off Gwennap Head

Falmouth Coastguard tasked Penlee RNLI just after 11pm on 14 August 2026 to help the pair, who had become fatigued, cold and unable to make headway against the tide, east of the Runnel Stone and a mile south of Gwennap Head.

By the time the volunteer crew reached the scene, the rowing boat had already drifted two miles from where the original call came in, carried along by a strong ebbing tide and a northerly wind gusting force 4 to 5. Coxswain Patch Harvey launched the station’s all-weather lifeboat, the Ivan Ellen, with Mechanic Andrew Wood and five further volunteer crew, and made best speed for the casualty.

📷Credit: RNLI/Patch Harvey

Cold, tired and failing to make headway

Once alongside, it was clear the rowers didn’t need medical help, just a way off the water. Patch Harvey said: “There was nothing we could do to assist, medical assistance wasn’t necessary but they were cold, tired and failing to make headway.”

After weighing up the options, Patch decided the safest course was to tow the rowing boat into Newlyn, the nearest safe harbour. The lifeboat arrived back with the rowing boat in tow at 3am.

📷Credit: RNLI/Patch Harvey

Fifty-nine days from Canada, brought ashore a mile short

For Dawn Smith and Paul Lore, the rescue closed out an attempt to row from Canada to England that had lasted 59 days and covered more than 2,000 miles. The pair were devastated, having come so close only to fall just short of finishing under their own steam.

About Penlee RNLI

Penlee RNLI is based in Newlyn, Penzance, and crews two lifeboats, the all-weather Severn class Ivan Ellen and the B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Mollie and Ivor Dent. The RNLI volunteers here have a 200-year history of saving lives at sea off this stretch of coast.

📷Credit: RNLI/Patch Harvey