Fowey RNLI lifeboat volunteers launch to swimmer in distress
On Friday 4 August at 5pm, the volunteer crew of the D class inshore lifeboat Olive Two launched to respond to a report of a woman in trouble who had been swimming near St Catherine's Point and was now missing.
A couple had set off from Coombe Beach to swim to Ready Money Cove when the woman had got into difficulties. The man had helped her to the safety of a rock and then left to call for help.
The RNLI crew members were tasked with searching from St Catherine’s to Coombe to find her as quickly as possible.
As they searched all the gullies, people on the cliff started to wave directions and the woman was soon found. Jamie Gitsham went ashore to check her ability to move and the lifeboat stood off to wait. When it was ascertained that she could move safely, she was helped on board by Tim Stables and Malcolm Richardson and taken to the lifeboat station to await an ambulance.
After warming up she felt better so the ambulance was cancelled.
The inshore lifeboat was returned to station and made ready for service by 5.45pm.
If you’re planning on enjoying the water:
- Check conditions - including water temperature - before heading to the coast.
- Wear a wetsuit of appropriate thickness for the amount of time you plan to spend in the water and the type of activity you're doing, if entering.
- Wear a flotation device. It greatly increases your chances of survial. Cold water and currents in our seas and rivers can tire you out quickly, making it harder to return to shore.
Notes to editors
As part of the RNLI’s drowning prevention campaign, Respect the Water, the charity is calling on the public to help save more lives by remembering and sharing key survival skills. First, if you see someone else in danger in the water, fight your instincts to go in after them and instead call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
With around half the coastal deaths each year being people who accidentally slip or fall into the water, the RNLI’s second piece of advice is: If you fall into cold water, fight your instincts to swim hard and thrash about. Instead, float for 60–90 seconds until the effects of cold water shock pass and you can catch your breath before then swimming to safety or calling for help.
You can find out more about how to stay safe in and around the water by visiting www.respectthewater.com.
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Cath Beard, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Fowey RNLI on 07969 693218. For urgent calls out of hours please contact the Duty RNLI Press Officer on 01202 336789.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, 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.