RNLI lifeguard and lifeboat crew rescue elderly woman and dog in Newquay estuary
An elderly woman and her blind dog were rescued after being cut off by the tide in an estuary in Newquay yesterday thanks to a combined effort from an RNLI lifeguard, RNLI lifeboats, Coastguard and police.
The emergency services were alerted to the fact a woman had become cut off by the high tide when walking her dog along the Gannel Estuary in Newquay at around 5:30pm last night.
Teams from the Coastguard and police searched for the woman and could hear her shouts for help but couldn’t see her position on the river bank due to thick reed beds.
RNLI lifeguard supervisor Lewis Timson, who had just finished his lifeguarding duties for the day, went to the scene with a rescue board.
Using the board, he was able to paddle down the river until he found the woman and her dog, both very cold and wet. She had been in the water up to her neck.
Lewis was able to move the woman onto the rescue board, with the help of one of the coastguard team, but there was nowhere they could safely get her out of the river.
Meanwhile, both RNLI lifeboats from Newquay had been launched. The Atlantic 85 battled big waves to cross Fistral Bay to reach the mouth of the estuary, but due to the high tide, was unable to get under a footbridge to reach the woman up river.
The smaller D-class boat was unable to launch in the rough weather, so the volunteer crew took it through the town centre on a trailer in order to reach a slipway into the estuary.
From there, they were able to meet up with Lewis and take the woman and her dog on board the lifeboat. They transferred her back to a slipway where an ambulance was waiting to take her to hospital.
RNLI lifeguard supervisor and trainee volunteer lifeboat crew member, Lewis Timson, said: ‘The woman had managed to scramble out of the water on to land with her dog, but by the time I reached her she was very cold and was extremely relieved to see us.
‘It was lucky we reached her when we did and that was thanks to great team work by all the emergency services involved in the rescue.
‘This week the tides are very big, so we would advise anyone walking or using the water to check the tide times and the size, which can affect how quickly the water moves.
‘If you do get into difficulty or see anyone in trouble in the water call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
The entire rescue lasted around two hours.
Notes to editors
• Video footage of Newquay RNLI Lifeboat launching is available.
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