Falmouth lifeboats launched to a medical evacuation and swimmers in difficulty
Falmouth’s all-weather and inshore lifeboats were both tasked to launch on separate occasions on Friday 18 September.
Firstly, at 3.50pm, the all-weather lifeboat Richard Cox Scott launched to the aid of a sailor who had broken their arm aboard a yacht. Making their way to the Helford River, the volunteer crew found the yacht on a mooring and two crew members trained in casualty care were put aboard to assess the casualty. Having placed the arm in a supportive splint, they transferred the casualty to the lifeboat and back to Falmouth where they could then go on to receive treatment at hospital.
The inshore lifeboat Robina Nixon Chard was tasked to launch later that day alongside Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team and the Coastguard Helicopter, following reports of swimmers in difficulty in heavy swells off Gyllyngvase Beach. Launching at 7.09pm, the inshore lifeboat and crew made their way to the area and began an initial search. The Coastguard confirmed that those in difficulty had been helped ashore, and the crew were stood down to return to station. Instead of being winched up the boathouse slipway, the lifeboat was kept afloat until the Coastguard Team confirmed that a missing surfer had been located onshore, at which time the lifeboat was recovered and made ready for service.
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.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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