Looe RNLI volunteers launch to assist a fishing boat taking in water

Yesterday evening, Wednesday 4 November 2020, our RNLI volunteer crew pagers sounded at 4.59 pm after Falmouth coastguard operations centre received a distress call over VHF radio, from two persons on board a 23 foot fishing boat, taking in water, approximately 1 nautical mile south east of Downderry. Within nine minutes the charity’s Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II was launched, quickly followed by the D Class inshore lifeboat Ollie Naismith. Carrying salvage pumps, both lifeboats headed across Looe bay towards the casualty vessel. Two Looe fishing charter boats Swallow II and Sowenna who were in the Whitsand bay area responded to the call and made their way towards the casualty vessel. Plymouth Lifeboat Station’s Severn class all-weather lifeboat Sybil Mullen Glover was also launched carrying additional pumps.

First to arrive on scene was the Swallow II, skippered by Murray Collings, who found the two persons on board uninjured and the boat’s pumps were coping with the ingress of water. A tow was established, and the Swallow II headed for Looe, with Dan Margetts, a Looe RNLI volunteer helm, on the Sowenna standing by alongside. Shortly afterwards Looe RNLI’s Atlantic 85 arrived on scene to take over the tow, releasing both charter boats to make their way back to Looe. Plymouth’s all-weather lifeboat which had just passed Rame Head was stood down to return to station after our crew confirmed the casualty vessel’s pumps were still coping with the water ingress.

The casualty vessel was towed to a mooring on West Looe quayside for repairs and the inshore lifeboats returned to station where they were washed down and refuelled ready for service by 7 pm

Crew Atlantic 85 Toby Bray (Helm ), Matt Jaycock, Aaron Rix, Victoria Thomas

Crew D Class Dave Jackman (Helm), Clive Palfrey, Goron Jones

Shore crew Nick Pope, Paul Barley, Eric Candy, Del Palfrey

Weather Partial cloud with good visibility, light NE force 2 wind, calm seas and an incoming tide

END

Notes to editors

No photos from this incident are available.

This was the first Shout for Plymouth Lifeboat Station’s newly passed out Mechanic/Coxswain Simon Jeffery.

Photos:

· Stock image Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Sheila and Dennis Tongue II
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Stock image Looe RNLI D Class inshore lifeboat Ollie Naismith
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Stock image Plymouth RNLI Severn class all-weather lifeboat Sybil Mullen Glover
Photo credit RNLI / John Baldry

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 Marianne Quinn, 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.