Hectic twelve hours for Falmouth RNLI crews: PICTURE and VIDEO
4:33pm Monday 11th March 2013 in News
The Willie Joe, aground near the Prince of Wales Pier
Falmouth RNLI crews have faced a "hectic" 12 hours after being called out in near gale force conditions three time in one day.
To see what the conditions were like out at sea, scroll down to see footage of the RNLI training on Sunday.
On Sunday at 12:15 pm, while at sea on exercise, the Falmouth RNLI all weather lifeboat, Richard Cox Scott, was tasked to go to the aid of the 37 ft yacht Ailla, with five persons onboard, which had suffered engine failure near Messack Point.
Then at 6.15pm in the evening the inshore lifeboat was sent to the aid of a small motor launch that was sinking close to the Prince of Wales Pier.
Later on that evening the all weather lifeboat was called to a 24 metre fishing boat aground near the Prince of Wales Pier.
An RNLI spokesman said: "In the first rescue, by the time the all weather lifeboat reached the Ailla, she had managed to drop anchor near Messack Point and had fixed her engine problem. Because of the near gale force weather conditions the lifeboat escorted the Ailla to her berth at Mylor, arriving back at the lifeboat station at approximately 1.15 pm and was ready for service again some 15 minutes later.
"At 6:15 pm the pagers went off again, this time for the inshore lifeboat to assist a lone person in a small motor boat that was sinking near the Prince of Wales Pier. The lifeboat was at the scene at approximately 6:23 pm and took the lone sailor onboard and brought him back to the lifeboat station. They immediately returned to see if the vessel could be saved but unfortunately there was little the lifeboat crew could do in the prevailing conditions.
"The alarm was raised for the third time that day, this time for the all weather lifeboat to assist a 24 metre, 140 ton, Irish fishing vessel the Willie Joe which had gone aground also near the Prince of Wales Pier."
At 11:30 pm the Richard Cox Scott slipped her moorings again and went to assist the fishing boat, but as it was 2 hours before low tide the lifeboat secured a short towline to her and kept weight on it to avoid her going further aground.
At 20 minutes after midnight, when the tide had risen sufficiently, they eased her stern first off the bottom and she was then able to proceed under her own power to the Fal Fish jetty in the dockyard.
The lifeboat returned to her mooring at a few minutes before 1:00 am where she was prepared for service once again by 1:15 am.
The crew for the first callout were: Mark Pollard (Coxswain); Dave Proud; Dave Nicoll; Sandy Proctor; Tom Telford and Elliot Holman, ably assisted by the shore crew comprising Richard Heane; Derren Plaister; Claire Angove and Sam Hall.
The RNLI volunteers going to the second callout in the inshore lifeboat were: Claire Angove (Helm); Tom Bird and Josh Beardmore.
While most were wrapped up warm against the chill wind on Sunday, the RNLI volunteers in Falmouth were out at sea putting in some training. Have a look here: VIDEO
Falmouth RNLI Sunday morning training in Falmouth Bay.
