West Cornwall RNLI teams work with the Coastguard in incident at Pedn Vounder

Porthcurno RNLI lifeguards were alerted via VHF radio communication to an incident on Monday afternoon involving a 60-year-old casualty who was experiencing severe knee pain and appeared to be in significant distress. As Pedn Vounder is a non-lifeguarded cove just east of Porthcurno beach, lifeguards Jack Hoare and Nick Brooks immediately ran over the cliff path with the crash bag and made their way down to the casualty.

The two lifeguards provided the initial casualty care and pain relief, and Jack radioed the Coastguard for assistance while they monitored her condition. Sennen Cove RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat (ALB) and inshore lifeboat (ILB) were tasked to the scene. Although there were choppy sea conditions, the volunteer crew on the ILB relocated the casualty around to Porthcurno where, with assistance from the Coastguard rescue team, they transferred the casualty to the beach lifeguard unit. The cliff rescue team used their vehicle to take the casualty and her partner up to the car park where her partner then drove her to hospital.

While lifeguards Jack and Nick assisted in the incident, lifeguards Stef Harkon and Matty Snelling continued to run a very busy Porthcurno beach. Matty Snelling, who is on his first season as a lifeguard, did an excellent job co-ordinating the rescue services and communications.

Lead Lifeguard Supervisor, Ollie Shilston, said:

‘It was great to see all three teams working together, especially the lifeguards and Sennen Cove volunteer lifeboat crew, and have the opportunity to put into practice our training in a real situation. The excellent communications between lifeguards, Coastguard and the Cliff Rescue Team were a credit to our service.’

Notes to editors

• Please find images attached of the casualty being transferred to the inshore lifeboat at Pedn Vounder beach (Credit Jonathan Kersley)
• Please find below a video of the inshore lifeboat departing Pedn Vounder with the casualty onboard (Credit Jonathan Kersley)

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