Newquay RNLI volunteers rescue swimmer from rip current
At 4.35pm on Wednesday (24 June), Newquay RNLI lifeboat crew were called along with Newquay Coastguard to assist a swimmer in difficulty in the sea at Porth.
The charity’s D class inshore lifeboat was launched in a light wind with a three-to-five-foot swell and on reaching the man, could see that he was struggling to get back to shore.
The RNLI crew rescued the man from the water and landed him safely at Newquay Harbour within 20 minutes of the alert, where an ambulance crew were waiting to check him for any injuries. The man was joined by his family and taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
An RNLI spokesperson said: ‘If you’re visiting the coast, please use a lifeguarded beach, where possible. If you're caught in a rip current, raise your hand and shout for help. Swim parallel to the shore until you’re free of the rip, rather than trying to swim straight back to the beach against the current, which will exhaust you. For any coastal emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard’.
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Andy Hobkinson, Newquay RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at andy_hobkinson@rnli.org.uk or 07880 507464 or Marianne Quinn, Regional Media Officer at marianne_quinn@rnli.org.uk or 07786 668847 or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.
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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.