Record numbers take the plunge for Looe RNLI’s New Years Day dip

In crisp and overcast conditions, the sea was flat calm this morning as the brave and intrepid swimmers, many in fancy dress, formed a line along East Looe beach ready for the 7^th annual famous Looe New Years Day dip. At 11 am the New Year’s day dippers ran down the beach and into sea. For the intrepid bathers a buoy was anchored 20m offshore. Several swam around the buoy but many of the swimmers just ran in to test the water temperature and ran back out again. Crowds of spectators watched and cheered the intrepid bathers from vantage points along the beach, seafront and Banjo Pier.

Over £1,330 was raised for Looe Lifeboat Station, collected by our fundraising volunteers who were joined by volunteer crew members to serve hot drinks and mince pies afterwards in the boathouse for spectators and swimmers to warm up after their bracing dip in Looe bay.

Guy Cooper, volunteer Looe RNLI crew member who organised today’s event was delighted with the number of swimmers who took part. He commented that this event increases in popularity every year, with this year attracting the greatest number of swimmers to date.

Guy thanked everyone who took part in the New Years day dip, along with the many spectators who lined the Banjo Pier and seafront to watch the spectacle, saying ‘the generous donations will be used by Looe Lifeboat Station for crew training, helping them to continue saving lives at sea’.

The charity’s Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Sheila and Dennis Tongue II helmed by Brian Bowdler with crew members Victoria Thomas, Jack Spree and Tom Peat had launched earlier to visit Polperro for their New Years day dip at 10am and returned to join Clive Palfrey helming the D Class inshore lifeboat Ollie Naismith with crew members Richard Porter and Goran Jones to provide safety cover. Along with Guy Cooper, shore crew John Pope, Dale Staff, Sue Foster and our Community Safety Officer Jasper Graham Jones acted as the beach safety team and the inshore lifeboats were launched by tractor drivers Graham Rich and Del Palfrey.

End

Photos:

6 photos - Looe RNLI New Years Day Dip on 1 January 2019
Photo credits RNLI/Ian Foster

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

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]

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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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