St Ives RNLI Launches in Challenging Conditions for Early Morning Search

Challenging Conditions Before Dawn

St Ives RNLI volunteers were launched into rough seas at 3.22am on Wednesday 19th November after being tasked by HM Coastguard to support a search operation across the stretch from Gurnard’s Head to Wolf Rock.

A strong northerly wind brought gusts of up to 50 knots, heavy waves and poor visibility, creating difficult conditions throughout the search area.

Lifeboat Launched with Seven Volunteers

The all-weather lifeboat Nora Stachura launched immediately with seven volunteer crew onboard and made good speed to cover the large area. When they arrived, Police had located the casualty and the lifeboat was stood down.

Crew Forced to Stay at Sea

With the weather still worsening, Second Coxswain Robin Langford judged that returning the lifeboat to its mooring was not safe. The crew remained onboard in rough seas until the tide dropped enough to allow a safe return to the boathouse.

Robin said, ‘Conditions were extremely challenging, with strong winds, poor visibility and heavy seas. Our priority was to ensure the safety of the crew and the lifeboat, so we waited until it was safe to recover her back to the boathouse.’

Back Ready for Service by Morning

By around 7.45am, the lifeboat was recovered, washed down, refuelled and prepared for service once again.

📷St Ives RNLI all-weather lifeboat, Nora Stachura, being recovered after the search - Credit: RNLI/Rob Cording-Cook