Portreath Coastguard Rescue Team were alerted by Falmouth Coastguards to a report from a member of the public saying that an inshore rescue boat was in trouble at Wheal Charlotte, between Porthtowan and St Agnes yesterday afternoon.

With the team assembled, Portreath coastguards were on their way to the incident, but were diverted en route to Porthtowan beach as the casualty had been recovered and was being towed in by the St Agnes Inshore Lifeboat.

The casualty was the RNLI beach lifeguard's own rescue boat, that had flipped over in the heavy swells whilst they were searching for a possible missing paddle boarder.

Luckily there were no casualties among the two crew members and the IRB was recovered only minus its engine cover.

Portreath coastguards helped the lifeguards to secure the boat and returned to their station just before 3pm.