Falmouth RNLI braved stormy conditions last night to rescue a King Harry Ferry crewman from a stranded dinghy.

Falmouth Coastguard made a request at 7.45pm that Falmouth's inshore lifeboat be launched following a report that the occupant of a 9-foot rowing boat was clinging to a mooring buoy at the King Harry Reach in the River Fal.

In view of the prevailing weather conditions it was also decided to launch the all weather lifeboat to provide safety cover for the inshore vessel.

The RNLI said: "The single occupant of the rowing had been heading back ashore from the ferry when he lost one of the boats rowlocks and was unable to make any headway in the adverse weather conditions.

"The casualty had managed to grab hold of a nearby mooring buoy and then wisely awaited the arrival of assistance."

The inshore boat, crewed by helmsman Andy Jenkin, Sandy Procter and Nick Head, launched from her slipway at 8pm and headed up the Carrick Roads, and six minutes later the all weather boat left its pontoon.

The inshore lifeboat arrived on scene at 8.11pm and quickly located the rowing boat and its occupant just upstream from the King Harry Ferry. The casualty was taken on board the inshore lifeboat before the boat was towed back to the ferry pontoon, where he was placed ashore and his boat was secured to the pontoon.

By 8.30pm the inshore lifeboat had been released to return to its station and it met up with the all weather lifeboat off the Carrick buoy and was escorted back down the Carrick Roads, safely into the Inner Harbour, and was back on its slipway and ready for service by 9.20pm.