Cornwall’s Rewind Radio Helps Elderly Listener During Storm Goretti

Cornwall’s Rewind Radio played a crucial role during Storm Goretti after helping to rescue an elderly listener who urgently needed help as the storm battered Cornwall.

Distress Call During Live Storm Coverage

During an eleven hour live storm special, presenters Richard Woods and Scott Temple were on air keeping listeners informed as Storm Goretti caused widespread disruption across the county.

Partway through the broadcast, the station received a call from a distressed woman in her 80s who urgently needed assistance.

Presenter Leaves Studio to Help

Recognising the seriousness of the situation, the team acted immediately. After confirming the woman’s address, Richard left the studio so Scott could continue presenting alone and went to help in person.

When Richard arrived, he found roof tiles being torn from the house. The pensioner, who suffers from severe arthritis, was stranded in her chair in complete darkness following a power cut.

Accompanied by his daughter Melissa Woods, Richard made sure the woman was safe and comfortable and contacted her family outside Cornwall to reassure them that she was being looked after.

Keeping Cornwall Connected During the Storm

Commenting on the incident, Richard said:
“People in Cornwall always go above and beyond for each other and that’s even more true when storms like Goretti hit. We see our listeners as family here at Cornwall’s Rewind Radio, so when one of them said they needed us, we were always going to make sure they were safe. People say local radio is a lifeline, and that was literally true last night.”

Alongside helping the elderly listener, Richard and Scott also assisted in coordinating the rescue of a bus that had become stranded with passengers on board. Throughout the storm, they continued to keep listeners informed, entertained and reassured during the extended broadcast.

Follow-Up the Next Morning

Richard added:
“We’re proud to be Cornwall’s only independent commercial radio station, and we’ve never been more important.
It’s moments like these that highlight how vital it is to be on the ground and embedded in the community we serve. The real heroes of Storm Goretti are the emergency services who worked tirelessly under a red weather warning but we’re proud to have played our part too.”

The story ended on a positive note after the station checked in on the listener the following morning. Her power had been restored and she confirmed she was safe.

Following the call, the woman contacted the studio to say:
“There are no words to thank you for what you have done for me tonight… Can’t thank you enough thank you from the bottom of my heart.”