Teenager cut off by tide to the east of Looe, rescued by Looe RNLI volunteers

Yesterday afternoon Sunday 30 March 2025, Falmouth Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received a call for help from a teenager who found himself cut off by the tide to the east of Looe. Looe RNLI crew pagers sounded at 5.31 pm requesting the immediate launch of the charity’s D Class inshore lifeboat, and within 7 minutes, our shore crew were launching the charity’s D Class inshore lifeboat Ollie Naismith II. Heading out from Looe River the crew made their way to second beach to start searching the shoreline towards Millendreath. Shortly afterwards they spotted the casualty sat 10 feet up the cliff by Chough Rock, Plaidy. Finding the casualty to be wet and cold, but uninjured, our helm decided to bring the casualty onto the inshore lifeboat and return to the lifeboat station to warm up whilst waiting for parents to arrive.

This was the second shout in 2025 for our volunteer crews, both have been to tidal cut offs. Ian Foster Looe RNLI’s volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer says “last night’s tide was one of the highest spring tides of the year. This incident occurred some 2 hours before high tide which shows that when walking along the coast you should always look around and take note of your surroundings as tidal cut offs can happen at any state of the tide. Luckily the casualty had a means of calling for help and did not attempt to climb further up the cliffs. With the clocks going forwards an hour over the weekend last night’s high tide was around 7.34 pm with sunset a few minutes afterwards. and if the incident happened a bit later it would have been more difficult for our crews to locate any casualties in fading light.

END

Notes to editors

Photos:

· Stock image – Looe RNLI D Class D-872 Ollie Naismith II
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

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 II

· For further information on Looe RNLI Lifeboats please visit our website https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/looe-lifeboat-station

· Looe RNLI Facebook page www.facebook.com/LooeRNLI

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 Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, on 07866 668847 or [email protected]

or Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead, on 07920 818807 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.

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