Falmouth lifeboat sent to Porthbean Beach after woman hurt on rocks

It was a clear, bright Sunday morning in Gerrans Bay. But for one woman on the rocks at Porthbean Beach, it had just taken a painful turn.

The Falmouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat, the Shannon class Decibel Too, launched at 10.12am on Sunday (1 November) after HM Coastguard took a phone call from a 70-year-old woman who had injured her leg on rocks on the north side of the beach.

The Portscatho and Mevagissey Coastguard Rescue Teams were tasked as well, along with paramedics from South West Ambulance Service.

A small boat inflated on the way

The lifeboat crew inflated the lifeboat’s XEP boat during the passage to the scene, arriving at 10.36am.

Conditions were kind. Visibility was good under a clear sky, with a force 4 north to north easterly wind and a slight sea.

The crew located the woman just as the first Coastguard team members reached her.

📷Library photo of Falmouth lifeboat's XEP boat. Credit: Falmouth RNLI

Casualty care crew sent in

Two lifeboat crew members qualified in casualty care took the XEP boat in, carrying medical kit and Entonox.

The lifeboat crew then stood by while more Coastguard team members and the paramedics arrived.

Taken off by land

A decision was made to bring the woman out by land, so the all-weather lifeboat and the XEP boat were stood down.

Once the XEP boat had been recovered, Decibel Too was released at 11.25am. She was back at station at 11.54am and made ready for further service at 12.15pm.

Falmouth Lifeboat Station takes donations through its JustGiving page.

📷Library photo of Falmouth RNLI's Shannon class lifeboat Decibel Too. Credit: RNLI/Simon Culliford