Double Rescue Mission for Looe RNLI Volunteers at Whitsand Bay

Photo: Freathy – Preparing to extract the casualty onto the D Class inshore lifeboat – Photo credit RNLI Lifeguard SE Cornwall team

Paddleboarder Search on Sunday Evening

Looe RNLI volunteers were called into action twice along Whitsand Bay, responding to two incidents within 24 hours. The first call came on Sunday evening, 11th August 2024, when concerns were raised about a paddleboarder reportedly in difficulties off Rame Head.

At 6:38 pm, the crew pagers sounded, and within just seven minutes, the dedicated team launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, Sheila and Dennis Tongue II. Facing moderate seas and a force 4 south-easterly wind, the volunteers conducted a shoreline search along Whitsand Bay towards Rame Head. However, after an extensive search of the area, the crew found no one in difficulty.

As the crew began to expand their search westwards along the coast, Falmouth Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) provided an update confirming that the paddleboarder had safely made it to shore. The RNLI crew were then stood down and returned to their station.

One of the volunteer crew members, Jonty, was celebrating his birthday when the pagers went off. Reflecting on the incident, Jonty said, “I was at my nan’s, close to the station, when the launch request came in. I made my way to the station to join other crew members on the Atlantic 85. My family were just about to order an Indian takeaway when the call came in; they decided to wait for us to return before ordering, so our curries were a little later than expected!” He added, “Even though this was a false alarm with good intent, we would always prefer to launch and find nothing untoward, than not to launch and find out later someone was in difficulties.”

Photo: Looe RNLI’s Atlantic 85 returning to station on Sunday evening, with Jonty, on seat 4, waving – Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

Casualty Extraction on Monday Morning

The second call came the following morning, Monday, 12th August 2024, when RNLI lifeguards on Sharrow Beach discovered a woman trapped by the incoming tide in a small gully below Freathy Cliffs. The situation quickly escalated, and the lifeguards requested assistance from their colleagues at Tregonhawke Beach and Looe’s D Class inshore lifeboat.

At 9:59 am, the volunteer crew pagers sounded again, but this time, the team faced an unexpected challenge—a road closure in Looe due to a building fire. Undeterred, two crew members left their van on West Looe Quayside and jumped onto a boat owned by Dave Haines, the Lifeboat Operations Manager. Dave quickly ferried them across the river to the lifeboat station.

Despite the delay, the D Class inshore lifeboat, Ollie Naismith II, was launched within seven minutes. Upon arrival at Freathy, the crew were briefed by the lifeguards, and it was decided to extract the casualty using the lifeboat. The woman was successfully transferred to Plymouth Lifeboat Station’s all-weather lifeboat for further care.

These back-to-back rescues highlight the dedication and quick response of the Looe RNLI volunteers, who remain ready to assist those in need, regardless of the challenges they face.

Photo: Jonty as he disembarks from the Atlantic 85 – Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster