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Boat: All Weather Lifeboat
Crew: Mark Pollard (Coxswain), John Blakeston, Snowy Angove, Alan Rowe, Luke Wills, Sandy Procter, Steve Bond
Location: 1.3 miles South of Pendennis Point
Shout Date: 26/11/2010 - 17:30
Weather:N 5, Moderate Sea & Swell, Moderate Visibility, Sleet & Snow Showers

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At 17:19 Falmouth Coastguard requested that both Falmouth All Weather and Inshore Lifeboats be launched to search for a missing stowaway from the Merchant Vessel Thuleland which was anchored 1.3 miles South of Pendennis Point and taking fuel from the bunker barge. The person was believed to have fallen into the water from the rudder stock. A Rescue Helicopter from RNAS Culdrose and the Falmouth Coastguard Cliff Rescue Team were also tasked to assist in the search.

The All Weather Lifeboat left its pontoon berth at 17:30 and on arriving off Pendennis Point commenced its search using search lights and a thermal imaging camera, arriving at the ships position at 17:51. A comprehensive search of the area surrounding the ship and the shoreline was carried out by both lifeboats, the helicopter and cliff rescue team with no success. Having completed its search area the All Weather Lifeboat was released to return to station at 19:59.

The All Weather Lifeboat was back alongside its pontoon berth by 20:10. The lifeboat was then refuelled, and was ready for service by 20:30.

The incident had started when a young French speaking stowaway who had been recovered from the water and taken ashore to be interviewed by the police and told them that a second stowaway had also been present and had entered the water before him, so a major search was immediately initiated. Both stowaways had hidden in the rudder compartment twenty days before in the port of Douala in the Cameroon. The surviving stowaway is being treated in hospital for dehydration and malnutrition having been with out food and water for the whole journey.