At three minutes to 01.00 on Saturday morning Falmouth Coastguard requested the launch of the inshore lifeboat to investigate reports of persons in the water between Flushing and Greenbank. Visibility was good and the sea state was calm. Arriving on scene off Greenbank at 6 minutes past the hour, the lifeboat crew commenced a search of the area using two searchlights and parachute flares for illumination. The engines were shut down on a couple of occasions to listen for the casualties but instead they heard someone shouting instructions from the Greenbank side indicating that the casualties were further upstream. Two minutes after arriving on scene the two persons were spotted in the water, close to a port hand marker buoy, one of whom, it was later revealed, could not swim. The non swimmer was hanging on to the buoy and the other was some ten metres away. Neither was wearing lifejackets. It was quite clear that they were both struggling, the non swimmer to retain his hold on the buoy and the other desperately trying to keep his head above water. With some difficulty both were hauled into the lifeboat. They confirmed that they were the only two involved in the incident and that they had been driving a RIB. As they had been in the water for some time the helmsman requested an ambulance to meet them back at the lifeboat pontoon.

On leaving the scene it was observed that the RIB had fetched up hard against the hull of a yacht on the starboard side of the channel with its outboard still going ahead causing the yacht to spin erratically around its mooring. This information was radioed to the coastguards.

The casualties were landed at the lifeboat pontoon into the care of station personnel, and the inshore lifeboat, concerned for the state of the RIB and the yacht it collided with, not to mention members of the public who might try to stop the RIB’s engine, headed back to the scene. After close assessment it was clear that the RIB was embedded into the yacht and the strain on the mooring was excessive and could cause it to fail. Standing off the two vessels the lifeboat attempted to foul the RIB’s propeller with its mooring ropes. They were successful at the second attempt.

The yacht was taking in water and in danger of sinking so the volunteer lifeboat crew, in an effort to try to save her, decided to attempt to free her from her mooring and tow her onto a slipway close by. However, it was found that there was far too much tension on the yacht’s mooring from the rotation. Attempting to use the bolt cutters to free her it was observed that she was settling quickly in the water, and in the interests of safety the helmsman recalled his crew and they stood off. She settled on the bottom with about a metre of water over the deck and the RIB still embedded in her starboard side.

After collecting debris and checking other boats in the vicinity for damage (it was thought the RIB may have collided with other vessels before hitting the yacht) the lifeboat was released to return to station arriving at approximately 2.15am. The lifeboat crew were finally able to return home at 4.00 in the morning.

It was thanks to the speedy launch of the lifeboat, together with the skill and endeavour of the lifeboat crew, plus the guidance from the unknown person onshore that this incident did not end with fatal consequences. The crew for this service were Dave Nicoll (Senior Helmsman), Tom Bird and Tom Napper.

Late Saturday afternoon the pagers were activated again, this time to assist two teenagers who were in difficulty in a beach type inflatable, in the harbour near Greenbank Pier. The inshore lifeboat arrived on scene at 5.48pm, having launched at 5.45. One of the youngsters was in the water and could not get back to the inflatable. She was plucked from the water by a yacht tender that happened to be passing the scene and the inflatable was then towed back to the shore. The lifeboat crew checked the youngsters over, and after giving them some safety advice, returned to the station at 6.10

At 12.45pm on Sunday the all weather lifeboat was tasked to investigate reports of a 35ft yacht Fulmar apparently adrift with no one onboard, five miles out to sea up to the east from Falmouth. The conditions were not good with a 3 metre swell and visibility deteriorating. The alarm was raised by the yacht Balladier which had passed close to the vessel yet could not see anyone onboard. Despite several attempts to raise her on VHF, and hailing the boat, no response was received.

At 1.05pm the lifeboat was on scene together with a helicopter (Rescue 193 from RNAS Culdrose) and a German warship, the Augsberg. After constant calling on several VHF channels they finally got a response from the sole occupant who had been down below. He radioed that he was fine and did not require assistance. He stated he was on passage to Torquay and after the coxswain of the lifeboat advised him several times that he would do better to return to Falmouth and await better weather, he insisted on carrying on.

The lifeboat was released to return to station at approximately 1.45pm arriving at 2.10pm where she was washed down, refuelled and made ready for immediate use some twenty minutes later.

Later that afternoon, at 4.12pm, the lifeboat volunteers were called once more. This time it was the inshore lifeboat called to a 15ft gaff rigged oyster punt that had been swamped by a large wave and its only occupant swept into the sea. Luckily for him he managed to retain his hold on the main sheets and was able to haul himself back on board his now swamped boat. Although he did not have a VHF radio he had alerted the Coastguard via his mobile phone which he kept safe in a water proof bag. This incident took place off Rosemullion Head, between Maenporth and the mouth of the Helford River, in a swell of 2-3 metres and waves crashing onto the shore. By the time the inshore lifeboat reached him at 4.25pm the casualty had been in the water for twenty minutes and was in danger of suffering from hypothermia so the lifeboat crew decided to get him ashore as quickly as possible. He was duly landed at Durgan into the care of the Coastguard Mobile Unit and later checked over by paramedics from an ambulance that had been called. The lifeboat then returned to the casualty’s boat, managed to attach a tow line before she ran onto the rocks, and took her in tow for Falmouth, arriving at approximately 5.45pm.
By 6.00pm the lifeboat was back on her slipway and at 6.25 pm was ready for service once more. The crew on this service was Dave Nicoll (Senior Helmsman), Ollie Lewis and Andy Jenkins.

Notes to editors
• This ended a busy weekend for Falmouth’s RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews. It should be noted that apart from the time spent on the rescue service there are reports to write, boats to be washed off, and refuelling to be done before the crew can be said to have finished a service.
• The attached photos are a sample of those taken at three of the four incidents. Video footage is also available if required.