Within minutes the lifeboat was manned and on its way to the scene of the incident arriving at the casualties at 12.15 pm. The scene that greeted the lifeboat crew was that of a 37ft catamaran that had collided with a fishing vessel, putting a large hole in the catamaran’s side which was in danger of sinking. Two female crew members of the five occupants of the stricken catamaran were taken off by the Falmouth Pilot boat Arrow, whilst the three male occupants took to the catamaran’s tender and were then transferred into the lifeboat via the Falmouth Fire and Rescue Service RIB Transco Phoenix.

Once all persons were accounted for and found to have no injuries, apart from being in shock from the accident, the lifeboat crew set about trying to rescue the catamaran, to prevent it from sinking and becoming a danger to navigation. To this end they quickly set up a tow and towed her into Pendennis Shipyard having obtained permission to beach her on their slipway.

All five of the occupants of the catamaran, as well as their two dogs, were taken to Falmouth Lifeboat Station to recover and make some urgent telephone calls.

Notes to editors
• The crewmembers on this mission were: Dave proud (coxswain); Tom Bird; Tom Napper; Jonathan Hackwell; Mark Rickard; Oliver Lewis and Diane Bush.