A man who swam out to help his 14 year-old daughter after she was caught in a rip-current at Porth on Monday evening has been rescued by Newquay’s RNLI lifeboat crew.

His daughter was swept across the bay and winched to safety from rocks by the Royal Navy rescue helicopter. 

Falmouth Coastguard requested the immediate launch of Newquay’s two RNLI inshore lifeboats after receiving multiple 999 calls reporting swimmers in difficulties in the sea at Porth. 

The charity’s volunteers were alerted by their RNLI pagers at 6.14pm on August 18 and launched the station’s two lifeboats from Newquay Harbour at low-tide.

Arriving at the scene in a light north-westerly breeze and one-metre swell the RNLI lifeboat crews saw the man on the south-side of Porth Island and three RNLI volunteers on the smaller D-class inshore lifeboat Valerie Wilson went in towards the shore and rescued him from the rocks. He was landed safely on Porth Beach where he was met by members of Newquay coastguard rescue team and treated for cuts to his feet.

Meanwhile, the man’s teenage daughter had been swept across to the opposite side of the bay and managed to climb onto rocks at Glendorgal Point where she was winched to safety by the Royal Navy rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose and taken to hospital for precautionary checks. A third person who had gone to their aid was able to climb to safety without assistance.    

After checking the area and confirming that nobody else was in difficulties the RNLI crews returned to the harbour at around 7pm, where onlookers spoke to them as they washed-down the charity’s two lifeboats and praised the volunteers for their quick response and launch.

Volunteer lifeboat operations manager Gareth Horner said afterwards: "Please only swim at a lifeguarded beach and during patrolled hours, 10am-6pm."