Easter eggs and supper put on hold for Looe RNLI volunteers

At 4.14 pm yesterday, Easter Sunday 21 April 2019, our volunteer RNLI crew were requested to assist the South West Ambulance Service and Looe Coastguard team with the evacuation of a casualty from Freathy beach. Facing a 2 foot swell and shore dump, our crews used the charity’s D Class, Ollie Naismith, to transfer the casualty and paramedic to the Atlantic 85, Sheila and Dennis Tongue II. At the request of the ambulance service the casualty and paramedic were taken on the Atlantic 85 to meet a waiting ambulance at Cremyl.

While our crews were recovering the Atlantic 85 on her return from Cremyl at 6.16 pm, they received a tasking request from Falmouth Coastguard control centre, following reports of three paddle boarders overdue at Millendreath. Our volunteer crew immediately re launched and made their way over to Millendreath. Very quickly the three paddle boarders were located safe and sound one mile east of Millendreath beach unaware they were overdue.

Just over one hour later pagers sounded for the third time at 7.19 pm, following reports of persons cut off by the tide at Freathy. Within nine minutes both inshore lifeboats were launched and our volunteer crews headed over to Whitsand bay. Anticipating similar surf conditions to the first shout, our crews again faced a two foot swell and shore dump, to rescue a person who was taken to meet the Looe Coastguard team on Tregantle beach. The persons companion was the first informant and a shore line search established that this person had made their way to safety.

Volunteer helms Toby Bray, Clive Palfrey and Matt Jaycock all commented on the versatility of the D Class inshore lifeboat for shore line rescues. Even in yesterday’s sunny weather, when the sea looks relatively calm, waves on beaches tend to come in sets of several larger waves. These waves can be higher than others and break very close to shore, known as a shore dump. It is in these challenging conditions that the D Class comes into it’s own for beach rescues.

This was the first shout for our volunteer tractor drivers, Chris Lewis and Del Palfrey, using the mark 2 Talus MB-4H launch tractor.

Both inshore lifeboats returned to the lifeboat station where they were prepared for service by 9 pm.

END

Notes to editors

Photos:

· Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II heading to Millendreath (1)
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II heading to Millendreath (2)
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II returning to Looe from Cremyl
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Stock image - Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and D Class Ollie Naismith
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

Information

· Re-established as an inshore lifeboat station in 1992, Looe RNLI operate two inshore lifeboats
An Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and a D Class Ollie Naismith

· For further information on Looe RNLI Lifeboats please visit our website www.looelifeboats.co.uk

· Looe RNLI Facebook page www.facebook.com/LooeRNLI

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Ian Foster, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Looe Lifeboat Station, on 07902 753228 or [email protected] or [email protected]

or Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Media Manager, on 07920 818807 or [email protected]

or Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Media Officer, on 07786 668847 or [email protected]

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.