The busiest August on record for Looe RNLI volunteer crews

Warm weather and strong offshore winds kept Looe RNLI volunteer crews busy during August 2026, in what turned out to be the busiest month since the lifeboat station was reestablished in June 1992. Over the month pagers summoned our crews to respond to 20 incidents. 14 of these were sea based, resulting in 17 inshore lifeboat launches, while the remaining 6 incidents were shore based.

Launch pagers were sounding at all times of the day and night tasking the station’s inshore lifeboat crews to assist Kayakers and Paddleboarders caught out in the strong offshore winds, people cut off by the tide and searches for missing persons and an overdue sailor. Both boat and shore crews dealt with a mix of medical incidents, and, whilst at the lifeboat station, crew members assisted a woman who found herself in difficulties attempting to wade the river at low tide and helped to reunite a lost child with his parents.

Commenting on the station’s busiest month, Clive Palfrey, Looe RNLI’s Lifeboat Operations Manager says “August turned out to be exceptionally busy for the station’s volunteer crew, with days when one incident followed another in quick succession. I am extremely proud of the commitment shown by all the crew, both long established and our newest volunteers, who responded in significant numbers to every shout, as well as continuing to attend our regular Wednesday training evenings. They train hard during the year, and this training really paid off as they dealt with 8 varied medical incidents, a couple of shoreline searches. together with 6 shouts to people caught out by the strength of the offshore wind. I would also like to thank the families of our crew members, for their continued support, allowing our crew to save lives at sea.”

END

Notes to editors

Photos:

· Stock image – Looe RNLI’s Atlantic 85 and D Class inshore lifeboats heading out into Looe bay
Photo credits RNLI / Ian Foster

Information

· Re-established as an inshore lifeboat station in 1992, Looe RNLI operate two inshore lifeboats
An Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and a D Class Ollie Naismith II

· For further information on Looe RNLI Lifeboats please visit our website https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/looe-lifeboat-station

· Looe RNLI Facebook page www.facebook.com/LooeRNLI

Shout details

· Due to the nature of some of the shouts we are unable to release further details

· August news releases describing two of the paddleboard / kayak incidents

https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2026/august/02/two-shouts-to-paddleboarders-in-two-days-for-looe-rnli-volunteers

https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2026/august/16/looe-rnli-volunteers-launch-to-a-kayaker-in-difficulties

Launch statistics

· August 2026 saw 17 inshore lifeboat launches by Looe RNLI volunteer crews

· The previous highest number was 14 launches, in July 2014 and July 2021 respectively,

Paddleboard / Kayak incidents

Six of the shouts during August for Looe RNLI volunteer crews have been to paddleboarders or kayakers who have been caught out in strong offshore winds

The primary safety advice from the RNLI and Paddle UK is simple: never launch your paddleboard ( or other inflatable crafts) in offshore winds. Offshore winds (blowing from the land out to sea) can blow lightweight craft out to deep water faster than you can paddle, quickly exhausting you.

If you are out on the water and are unable to paddle back to shore, do not stand on the board, as this acts like a sail. Instead: drop to your knees or lie prone (stomach-down) on the board. If you have the energy, prone paddling is the most effective way to make progress against the wind. Lie on your stomach and paddle with your arms (like a surfer). This lowers your profile and reduces wind resistance. Remember to wear your buoyancy aid at all times, use a leash, and always carry a means of calling for help, keeping it close to hand.

In trouble call 999 and ask for the coastguard

Further safety advice can be found at

https://rnli.org/water-safety/choose-your-activity/stand-up-paddle-boarding

https://rnli.org/water-safety/choose-your-activity/kayaking-and-canoeing

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Ian Foster, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI Looe Lifeboat Station, [email protected]

Kyle Reed, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for South West England, 07786 668847, [email protected]

Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for South West England, 07920 818807, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.