Mawgan Porth rescue: the paddler who got there first

Two people got into difficulty in the water at Mawgan Porth on Saturday evening. Help was tasked from Newquay by sea, by land and by air within minutes. But the first person to reach them came off the beach.

What happened at Mawgan Porth

The calls came in at 1913hrs on Saturday 15 August, reporting two casualties in difficulty in the water. Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team, Newquay RNLI Lifeboats and Newquay coastguard rescue helicopter 924 were all tasked to the beach.

The people who got there first

Before any of those assets could reach the water, a member of Mawgan Porth Surf Life Saving Club paddled out to the pair. Off duty RNLI lifeguards from Newquay then joined him, and between them they stayed with the two casualties while the tasked crews made their way to the scene.

Both of those things happened on someone’s evening off. The surf club is a volunteer outfit, and the lifeguards were not on shift.

Back to Newquay Harbour

With the coastguard rescue team on the shore and 924 above, Newquay lifeboat picked up both casualties and took them back to safety at Newquay Harbour. They were assessed there by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. No further detail on their condition has been released.

If you see someone in difficulty

The advice from the team is the same every time, and it takes one call. If you see someone in trouble anywhere along the coast, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard. Do not go in after them yourself.

Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team thanked the surf club members, the off duty lifeguards, the members of the public who helped and every asset that turned out. The whole thing was logged as tasking number 111 for the team, on an ordinary Saturday evening in the middle of August.

📷Credit: Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team