Falmouth volunteer lifeboat crew assist a person in a boat stranded on rocks

The lifeboat, crewed by Neil Capper (helm), Sandy Procter and Tom Bird, arrived on scene at 6.10pm. The initial reports had suggested the possibility of a 25 foot yacht sinking but members of Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team had located a young woman and her small rowing boat in difficulty on the rocks west of the Ferry Boat Inn.

The casualty was one of two people staying on a yacht in the river and she had rowed, on her own, across to the Ferry Boat Inn. She then attempted the row back to the yacht and in the dark and deteriorating conditions, had extreme difficulty making headway and ended up on the rocks. She had struggled for about 30 minutes before assistance arrived.

The Coastguard Rescue Team helped guide the inshore lifeboat in to recover the casualty and after the crew checked her over and established she was all right, took her and the rowing boat back to the yacht.

After the incident, Neil Capper, Falmouth RNLI volunteer inshore lifeboat helm, said: ‘The casualty was very lucky that someone heard the calls for help and raised the alarm. The outcome could have been very different particularly as she didn’t have a radio and wasn’t wearing a lifejacket.’

The RNLI crew offered some safety advice before returning to the lifeboat station.

Notes to editors

• The RNLI always recommend that a lifejacket is worn. Around 190 people die in UK and Irish waters each year and research has proven that wearing a lifejacket can increase your chances of survival by up to four times if you’re immersed in cold water.

• The Falmouth RNLI Community Sea Safety Team is available to give free advice on sea safety including lifejacket checks. Information on this can be found here: http://www.falmouthlifeboat.co.uk/community-safety-respect-water/

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For more information please contact; Simon Culliford, RNLI Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07971986978, [email protected]; or Amy Caldwell Regional Media Manager on 07920818807, [email protected]; or contact RNLI Public Relations 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.

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