Falmouth lifeboat crew board French fishing boat in Storm Austen

Stepping from a lifeboat onto a fishing boat that is still under way is hard enough in calm water. Falmouth’s lifeboat crew did it with a gale blowing.

Falmouth RNLI was called out last Friday (23 October), during Storm Austen, to help an injured crew member on board a 21-metre French fishing vessel. The boat was 7 nautical miles east south east of Zone Point when its master contacted HM Coastguard.

A launch from a sheltered berth

The crew’s pagers went off at 8.22am. At 8.40am the station’s Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, Decibel Too, left its temporary berth in Port Pendennis Marina, a more sheltered spot than usual. Coxswain Luke Wills was in command, and the lifeboat reached the fishing vessel at 9.18am.

It was partly cloudy with good visibility. But a north westerly wind was blowing force 7 to gale 8, over a moderate sea.

📷Falmouth's Shannon class all-weather lifeboat Decibel Too alongside the 21-metre French fishing vessel in Falmouth Bay. Credit: RNLI/Simon Culliford

Into the lee of Falmouth Bay

Rather than attempt anything out there, the fishing vessel and the lifeboat headed together for a more sheltered part of Falmouth Bay.

Two lifeboat crew members qualified in casualty care were then put aboard the fishing vessel to assess the injured man. He had dislocated his knee.

He was transferred to the lifeboat and brought back to the lifeboat station, arriving at 10.30am, before being taken to the minor injury unit. The fishing vessel returned to sea.

“A good lee”

Falmouth RNLI Coxswain Luke Wills said: “The crew did a fantastic job in some challenging conditions boarding the fishing vessel underway.

“Thanks to the skipper of the fishing vessel for giving us a good lee for extracting the injured crew member. We wish him a speedy recovery.”

📷The 21-metre French fishing vessel in Falmouth Bay. Credit: Falmouth RNLI