Kayaker missing for 90 minutes found on rocks near Mousehole

You make it back to the harbour. Your paddling partner does not. The last time you saw him was an hour and a half ago, somewhere along the rocks, and the wind is picking up.

That was the situation that brought a Cornish lifeboat crew out on Sunday afternoon (11 October), and it ended with a helicopter lifting a kayaker off the shore just outside Mousehole.

A kayaker last seen 90 minutes earlier

Penlee RNLI was tasked by Falmouth Coastguard at 4.15pm to a man in a black wetsuit who was believed to have gone ashore on rocks roughly a mile southwest of Mousehole harbour.

He had been out with another kayaker, who last saw him around 1.5 hours before. That second paddler made it to safety and contacted the Coastguard once he was back in Mousehole.

The lifeboat launch

Penlee’s B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, the Mollie and Ivor Dent, launched under Helm Will Treneer with a crew of two RNLI volunteers.

When they reached the area, the man was found ashore with minor injuries. The Coastguard helicopter was already on scene, and Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team was covering the clifftop above.

The lifeboat stood by until the casualty had been airlifted away. His kayak was left high and dry on the rocks, waiting for its owner to come back and recover it.

Will and his crew then headed back to Newlyn in light rain, with gusts reaching 30 knots, where the lifeboat was made ready for its next call.

What to do before you head out on the water

The volunteer lifeboat crews of the RNLI have three pieces of advice for anyone kayaking, paddleboarding or heading out on the water:

• Carry a way to call for help, on you. It needs to be within easy reach in an emergency. The RNLI suggests a mobile phone with the SafeTrx app.
• Check the weather forecast and tide times. Don’t get caught out by the conditions.
• Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back. If you are overdue, they can raise the alarm with the Coastguard by calling 999 or 112.

On Sunday it was the second kayaker, back on dry land, who made that call.

📷Penlee RNLI's Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Mollie and Ivor Dent. Credit: Phil Monckton/RNLI