Two people rescued by Fowey RNLI after vessel runs aground on rocks
On Tuesday 18 July members of the Coastwatch team spotted a vessel pulling their starter cord close to the rocks between St Catherine's Castle and Combe Beach.
They alerted Fowey Harbour office who quickly despatched a harbour dory to investigate, steered onto the site by Polruan National Coastwatch Institution. When the casualty vessel was found there were two people on the rocks and the situation was unsafe for the harbour dory to affect a rescue. Therefore at 4.50pm Fowey RNLI were called and their inshore D Class lifeboat Olive Two was requested.
Crew members Jimmy Hoddinott, Adam Russell and Alan Harris launched in the lifeboat and at 5pm they were on scene. They then veered down towards the casualty vessel. This is a manoeuvre which involves them dropping the anchor and then moving back towards the rocks under power, allowing a taut anchor rope and an easier escape from the rocks should they become grounded.
Alan then went ashore in a very rocky area with a surging easterly swell lifting and dropping the boats. He assisted the two stranded people back into their boat, climbed in himself and was towed out by the Olive Two.
This was a difficult rescue due to the circumstances and the stricken vessel was then towed back safely into the harbour.
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.
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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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