Children among ten people rescued by Newquay RNLI
Volunteer crew members from Newquay RNLI Lifeboat Station worked with the charity’s lifeguards to successfully rescue the group, including five children, from a small cove where they were trapped by the rising tide on Monday (21 August) afternoon.
Newquay RNLI lifeboat volunteers were alerted by the Coastguard just after 4.15pm and alongside lifeguards from Porthcothan rescued two families which included five children aged between seven and 11-years-old, who were trapped in a small cove south of the main beach.
Gareth Horner, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Newquay Lifeboat Station says: ‘Getting cut off by the tide contributes to a significant number of RNLI rescues every year. Our volunteer crew at Newquay were guided into the cove by Padstow Coastguard volunteers from the cliff-top, before the two families were transferred to safety on both inshore lifeboats.’
While this was happening senior RNLI lifeguard at Porthcothan Keith Renders had dispatched lifeguard Mollie Erskine and 16-year-old volunteer lifeguard Maisy Barnes via the footpath to neighbouring Golden Burn beach to assess the situation after being made aware of people cut off by the tide.
On route they were alerted by a woman to her young son who was stuck on Arch Rock. Using a rescue board to paddle 700m around from the main beach Keith was able to rescue the boy who was also transferred to one of Newquay’s lifeboats.
Senior Lifeguard Keith Renders says: ‘Tide times and heights vary throughout the month and can easily catch you out if you haven’t checked them. The tide can come in surprisingly quickly. To avoid getting cut off by the tide the RNLI advises that you check the tide time tables before you head out and that when you are out you remain aware of your surroundings and the tide’s direction.’
Lifeguard Supervisor Dan Hutton added: ‘This is a great example of team work by the Porthcothan lifeguard team and the working partnership with the lifeboats and the coastguard team to carry out this search and rescue, which was in difficult conditions due to location and sea state. It was a job well done by all.’
The main beach at Porthcothan was temporarily closed and monitored by fourth lifeguard Tom Bennett during the rescue operation.
The volunteer lifeboat crew returned to Newquay Harbour at around 6pm.
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.
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