A two shout Thursday for Looe RNLI volunteers

Volunteer crew pagers sounded at 6.25 am, early in the morning of Thursday 16 May 2019.

Half a mile off Colmer rocks to the east of Millendreath, a local crabber Downderry Maid requested assistance after suffering engine problems and being unable to make repairs at sea, Our RNLI volunteer crew quickly launched the charity's Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and towed the crabber back to it's berth on East Looe quayside.

In the afternoon pagers sounded again at 3.07 pm when the RNLI lifeguard team at Sharrow Point requested our assistance, via Falmouth Coastguards, following reports of a dog in the water / on cliffs. The volunteer crew launched the Atlantic85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and headed over to Whitsand bay to meet up with the lifeguards already out on their Arancia rib. Our lifeguards took volunteer helm Toby Bray ashore to check the dog was OK. Rolo a Shar Pei was uninjured but would not approach Toby, even for a drink of water. Looe and Tamar Coastguard teams were on the cliffs above, but Rolo was not going to move, so a decision was made to wait for the tide to recede and our crew were asked to stand by offshore before later returning to station.

As the tide went out Rolo made friends with the Baldry family who were out walking and followed them along the beach. John Baldry, who coincidently, is the lifeboat press officer with Plymouth Lifeboat Station realised that Looe RNLI’s Atlantic 85 was in the area but was not aware, until they left the beach and met the coastguard team, that Rolo was the reason our crew was there.

Our volunteer crew always recommend dog walkers follow the RNLI #topdog advice

· Always keep your dog on a lead when walking close to cliff or water edge

· If the dog falls or goes into the water do not go after them

· Move to a place of safety and call the dog

· Most dogs will get back by themselves

· If you are worried call 999 and ask for the coastguard

Morning shout
Crew Dan Margetts (helm), Toby Bray, Brian Bowdler and Tom Peat
Shore crew Paul Crossley, Chris Lewis, Richard Rix, Jack Spree, with seven more volunteers responding to the early morning pager alert.

Afternoon shout
Crew Brian Bowdler (helm ), Toby Bray, Aaron Rix and Alastair Pearn
Shore crew Chris Lewis, Paul Barley, Mat Jaycock, Richard Rix and Ian Foster

Weather
partial cloud, good visibility, south easterly force 4 wind, moderate seas

END

Notes to editors

Photos:

· Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II early morning launch
Photo credit RNLI / Sue Foster

· Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II towing Downderry Maid back into Looe River (1)
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II towing Downderry Maid back into Looe River (2)
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Video still - Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II with RNLI Sharrow Point lifeguards
Photo credit RNLI

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.