Looe RNLI Volunteers Rescue Three Kayakers Near Polperro

Mobile phones couldn’t save them – but volunteer crews did

Three people were rescued by Looe RNLI volunteers last night, Thursday 24th July 2025, after their kayak began to take on water and sink near Downend Point, Polperro.

The group had set off from Polperro, heading for Talland Bay and back, when their kayak began to sink. They managed to scramble onto nearby rocks, but poor mobile signal meant they couldn’t call 999. One of the group walked back to Talland to raise the alarm. Around the same time, Falmouth Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) began receiving several 999 calls reporting shouts for help in the area.

Fastest launch in minutes

Many of Looe’s RNLI volunteers happened to be near the lifeboat station, packing up after a Thursday evening sailing race, when their pagers went off at 7.50pm. Within three minutes, the D Class inshore lifeboat Ollie Naismith II launched with crew already suited up in drysuits and lifejackets.

Given the urgency of the call, Looe’s launch authority also launched the Atlantic 85 lifeboat Sheila and Dennis Tongue II to support the rescue and maintain communications with the Looe and Polruan Coastguard rescue teams also sent to assist.

Found cold and wet on the rocks

The D Class crew reached Talland Bay and spotted someone waving on the beach. He explained he had been with two others when their kayak sank and had returned to the beach to call for help. With the first casualty taken aboard, the lifeboat made its way to Downend Point.

Two crew members went ashore to check on the remaining two people, who were found cold and wet but otherwise uninjured. They were brought aboard the D Class and wrapped in thermal blankets for the trip back to Polperro, where they were staying. The Atlantic 85 crew followed with the kayak.

Signal blind spot warning

Volunteer helm David Jackman, who led the D Class rescue, said:

“This was not the first time we have been called to an incident around Downend Point where there has been no mobile phone coverage. Even though the group were well prepared, carrying additional methods of calling for help such as a personal locater beacon (PLB) or VHF radio would have enabled them to call for help straight away.”

He added:

“While the cause of this water ingress was unclear, it’s always a good idea to check your kayak or vessel before heading out, making sure hatch covers are closed and drainage bungs are seated correctly and not perished.”

The Looe RNLI volunteers launched and completed the rescue in quick time, highlighting the ongoing risks posed by poor mobile coverage along the Cornish coast and the value of being properly equipped on the water.