The Lizard lifeboat launches twice in one day

The pagers first sounded shortly after 9am on Tuesday 21 August after a member of the public reported seeing a life raft partially submerged between rocks in the area of Caerthillian Cove, The Lizard.

Upon arrival on scene the lifeboat deployed its smaller Y boat to enable a closer and in depth search of the area. Mullion Coastguards were also in attendance. After an extensive search no casualty was sighted and the crew returned to station. The life raft remains where it was sighted as it was tightly wedged and was unable to be released from where it was positioned.

The lifeboat crew received a second page that day and launched on service at around 10.30pm after Falmouth Coastguard had received a mayday call in the area of Coverack Bay. A lone yachtsman had slipped and fallen overboard his vessel and was heard calling for help.

Fortunately the casualty had been wearing a VHF radio around his neck which meant he could call for immediate assistance. Another yachtsman in the area had heard the mayday call and went to assist in the search.

Upon arrival on scene the casualty had been recovered from the water and was back on his own yacht. Though a little shaken the casualty was assessed by a member of the lifeboat crew and was uninjured after his ordeal.

Andrew Putt, RNLI coxswain at The Lizard, said:

‘The casualty here acted exactly as we would advise and was prepared for any eventuality, which, unfortunately, came to fruition.

'He was not only wearing a lifejacket, which kept him afloat as soon as he entered the water, but was also carrying a portable VHF radio around his neck. This meant he was able to contact the Coastguards himself as soon as he fell overboard as it was in a place that could be reached easily as soon as he found himself in trouble.

'Full credit must also be given to our colleagues at HM Coastguard for their alertness and response to what must have been a very weak broadcast from the casualty.

'The RNLI advises that you always carry a means of calling for help but, ideally, a VHF radio. This was especially beneficial for this incident as Coverack is renowned for poor mobile phone signal. If the casualty had only been carrying a mobile phone and not wearing a lifejacket, the outcome last night could have been very different.’

Notes to editors

To find out more about The Lizard lifeboat station, visit the station website at www.thelizardlifeboat.org.uk Facebook page, The Lizard RNLI lifeboat station or Twitter @LizardRNLI

Media contacts

For more information contact Lyndsay Bray, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at The Lizard Lifeboat Station, on 01326290478 / 07976635173 or email [email protected] or Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Media Officer, on 07786 668847 or [email protected]

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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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