Boys on a Giant Paddleboard Helped Rescue a Man at Port Gaverne

A group of boys out on a stand-up paddleboard near Port Gaverne found themselves stranded for well over an hour at the weekend. The reason they were stuck out there tells the story of a rescue that pulled several different people together on the water.

What happened at Tags Pit

Port Isaac Lifeboat was tasked at 13:45 on 14 June to help other emergency services recover a man who had slipped on rocks below Tags Pit at Port Gaverne. He had suffered a suspected fractured ankle.

The casualty was brought ashore and treated by RNLI and South Western Ambulance Service paramedics before being taken to hospital in Truro for further assessment and treatment.

Richard Hambly, one of the Port Isaac crew, was serving as the Lifeboat Authority on the day. Richard gave the man initial casualty care before the ambulance crews arrived.

The youngsters who paddled over

The first people to reach the casualty were not the emergency services. A group of youngsters and their guides had been out in the sunshine around Port Gaverne on a giant SUP when they noticed a crowd gathering around the man who had slipped.

They paddled straight over. Using the giant board, the group recovered him from the water and brought him ashore, where further help could be provided.

One of the guides stayed with the boys out at The Gut while the man was cared for. Because of the nature of the injury, the SUP could not go back into the water until the casualty had been safely transferred into the ambulance. That left the boys sitting out there for well over an hour.

The lifeboat crew went out to check on them and found them in great spirits, enjoying the adventure and proud that their board had played a part in helping someone in need.

The RNLI thanked the youngsters and their guides for their quick thinking and calm actions, calling it a reminder that “anyone can help save a life.”