Life-saving volunteers were also called to two paddleboard shouts in two days
Volunteers have saved a struggling swimmer and responded to two shouts of paddleboarders in trouble(Image: Looe, RNLI)
Life-saving volunteers have responded to two incidents involving paddleboarders in as many days in Cornwall – and rescued an exhausted swimmer clinging to a pier.
The Looe branch of the RNLI attended one shout on Thursday, July 30, after a 999 call expressing concern for two paddleboarders. The caller said one had fallen and appeared to be in difficulty at around 3.30pm.
The second shout was the following afternoon, Friday, July 31, when crews were paged by patrolling lifeguards who saw a paddleboarder being blown out to sea by strong offshore winds at around 4.15pm.
Of the first incident, Looe RNLI said: “Within seven minutes our RNLI volunteer crew had launched the charity’s D Class inshore lifeboat Ollie Naismith II to investigate. Out in the bay our crews located two different groups of paddleboarders, all of whom were safe, enjoying the afternoon.
Looe RNLI(Image: Looe, RNLI)
“Reporting this back to Falmouth MRCC our crews were stood down to return to station. Back on shore, our volunteer crews commented that the first informant did the right thing in contacting the coastguards with their concerns. Whilst this was a false alarm with good intent our crews would always prefer to launch to find no one in difficulties, than not to launch to later learn somebody needed assistance.”
The following day, a request for assistance from Looe’s inshore lifeboat was made to Falmouth MRCC. Crews arrived on scene to find the paddleboarder had made his way back closer to shore and was being assisted by a lifeguard on a rescue board.
“Our crew waited until the pair were safely back on shore, before the lifeboat was stood down to return to station,” a spokesperson said. “As our crew approached the harbour entrance they were alerted by shouts from members of the public on the Banjo Pier.
“The public were pointing to an exhausted swimmer who was clinging onto the side of the Pier. Our crew picked him up and took him back to the landing pontoon.”
One shout was a false alarm(Image: Looe, RNLI)
Clive said: “The swimmer was completely exhausted attempting to swim back to the beach against the outgoing tide, as tidal and river currents are always stronger around the pier and river mouth.”
Back at the lifeboat station, Helm, Clive Palfrey commented on the great teamwork at Seaton with the Lifeguard team and how apt it was to have a joint incident on what is “Lifeguard Appreciation Day” and the RNLI celebrating 25 years of lifeguarding around the UK coastline and beaches.