Paraglider injured at Perranporth, coastguard helicopter called in

A paraglider came down at Perranporth on Saturday, and within the hour one of the largest aircraft the emergency services can put in the air was setting down on the sand, in the middle of a July beach still full of people.

What happened on the beach

The St Agnes Coastguard Search and Rescue Team was tasked to Perranporth beach on Saturday 25 July to help RNLI lifeguards at Perranporth with a casualty who had been injured in a paragliding incident. It was the team’s fiftieth tasking of the year.

Working alongside South Western Ambulance Service, the team helped with casualty care and set up a helicopter landing site on the beach for Coastguard Helicopter 924. The casualty was then moved to the top of the cliffs for onward care.

The team thanked every agency involved and wished the casualty a speedy recovery.

Why the crowd mattered

Landing a large helicopter on a busy beach, or on the cliffs above it, is not a simple thing. The aircraft throws down a significant amount of downdraft, and doing that safely with members of the public close by is one of the harder parts of the job.

The coastguard team said there were a lot of people around the beach and cliffs while the incident was going on, and asked them to move away from the scene. In their words, it makes the role much easier when people are understanding, follow the instructions of the emergency services and move to a place of safety when asked.

“Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe,” the team said.