St Mary’s lifeboat rescue four after kayaks capsize off Tresco

A cry for help carrying across Tresco Channel on Monday night was enough to get the St Mary’s all-weather lifeboat off her moorings inside ten minutes.

Paged at 8.25pm

The St Mary’s RNLI Lifeboat Station crew were paged at 8.25pm on Monday 14 September after reports of people crying for help in Tresco Channel, on the Isles of Scilly. Tresco Coastguard Rescue Team was also tasked. The coastguard had been told that four people were in the water, having fallen from two kayaks and a paddleboard.

A fresh north-westerly wind and a strong ebbing tide were running through the channel, meaning anyone in the water would be carried away fast. The lifeboat crew had her off the moorings within ten minutes of being paged and were on their way to Tresco.

A local boat gets there first

By the time the lifeboat reached the scene off Plumb Island, a local vessel had already arrived and pulled three of the four casualties from the water, along with one kayak and the paddleboard. The station’s write-up singled out the boat’s crew, thanking “G and G” for getting there ahead of them.

The fourth person had made it ashore on the island, still with the second kayak. Two of the lifeboat crew launched the station’s Y boat and went in to bring them, and the kayak, off.

Everyone accounted for

Once all four were confirmed unhurt, the local vessel ran them across to Bryher Quay to land, dry off and warm up, while the lifeboat stood by until they were safely ashore.

The crew on the shout were Pete Hicks, Jimmy Hoddinott, Dan Moulson, Eldred Banfield, Arran Humphries, Olly Glenn and Archie Hicks. It was the RNLI station’s 23rd shout of 2026.

📷The lifeboat's track out to Tresco and back. Credit: St Mary's RNLI Lifeboat Station