Falmouth lifeboat crew searches through night off Eddystone

Falmouth’s volunteer lifeboat crew spent more than nine hours at sea overnight on Saturday 29 August, searching for two people still missing after a French fishing vessel began taking on water and sinking south-west of Eddystone Lighthouse.

A Mayday call south-west of Eddystone

Pagers at Falmouth Lifeboat Station sounded shortly after 6pm on Saturday, calling the crew to join a multi services search after a Mayday call from a French fishing vessel taking on water and sinking, 15 nautical miles south-west of Eddystone Lighthouse.

The station’s RNLI Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, Decibel Too, launched within 10 minutes and headed for the scene at full speed, a run of 23 nautical miles from Zone Point, into a westerly force 6 wind and rough seas. Plymouth RNLI had also been tasked, together with HM Coastguard’s rescue helicopter, R924.

Three rescued, two still missing

The fishing vessel had five people on board. Three were rescued by another vessel, the FV Stradale, but two remained missing.

Falmouth’s lifeboat arrived on scene at 7.20pm and began a creeping line search alongside the Plymouth lifeboat, Rescue 924, a Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft, up to ten other vessels and a French warship. The three crew members already recovered were transferred ashore for medical treatment.

Nine hours afloat, then relief boats take over

After more than nine hours at sea running multiple search patterns, both the Plymouth and Falmouth lifeboats were stood down, with Penlee Lifeboat and Salcombe RNLI taking over the search. Falmouth’s crew returned to their station at 6.20am, having been out since the previous evening. The wider search was suspended later that day, with all assets stood down.

In a statement, Falmouth’s crew said: “Our thoughts are with all the families while their loved ones remain missing. Respect also to the volunteer lifeboat crews around the south west for their immense efforts in this service.”

📷Credit: RNLI/Simon Culliford