RNLI lifeguards in Cornwall have rescued 12 people from dangerous situations over the last week, including a surfer at Perranporth only yesterday evening.

The lifeguards rescued the surfer in difficulty in the strong winds and heavy swell, after a member of the public alerted them at around 5.30pm.

The surfer had paddled out at the south corner of the beach towards Droskyn Point and had been quickly washed around the point towards the cliffs.

Lifeguards Tom Cutmore and Rob Nunn were on the water's edge and immediately launched the Inshore Rescue Boat to begin the search for the surfer. Meanwhile, lifeguard supervisor Sam Chamberlain went via the cliff path to obtain a vantage point and spotted the surfer drifting towards the cliffs, struggling to paddle against the wind and heavy surf to get to safety.

Sam relayed the surfer’s location to Tom and Rob, who reached him quickly and pulled him into the boat.

Sam said: "The surfer was extremely lucky that the lifeguards had been informed of his situation as the strong winds and swell were pushing him towards the cliffs, and as the tide was coming in, there would have been no escape."

On Tuesday last week, at Chapel Porth, lifeguards rescued a family of three who had drifted out of their depth while bodyboarding.

RNLI lifeguards Moss Thomas and Curtis Johnson spotted the family who were drifting out of their depth and beginning to become overwhelmed by the strength of the surf. Thomas immediately entered the water and paddled over to the three casualties on a rescue board, assisted by colleagues Curtis and Connor Barker-Warne. Thomas helped the youngest casualty, who was struggling the most, onto his rescue board and safely back to shore while Curtis and Connor assisted the other two casualties out of the water.

On Thursday, lifeguards Toby Farnes and Paddy Higgins were on patrol at the waters edge when they spotted a group of seven swimmers being dragged out to sea in a flash rip current.

Paddy immediately paddled over to the casualty furthest away using a rescue board and helped her onto it. RNLI lifeguard Connor Barker-Warne helped one casualty onto his board when he spotted four teenagers beginning to struggle.

Gavin Forehead, volunteer helm at St Agnes RNLI who was surfing at the time, took the casualty back to shore on his surf board, allowing Connor to help the four teenagers.

On the beach Toby raised the red flag and then paddled over to Connor on a rescue board. Toby helped one casualty onto his board and back to shore whilst Gavin, fellow local surfer Trevellyan Garland, an ex-RNLI lifeguard and a member of the public who was bodyboarding, each towed a casualty back to shore.

Another local surfer Greg Ward helped a bodyboarder out of the rip and onto Paddy’s rescue board, leaving Toby to assist the final casualty back to shore. In total, the RNLI lifeguards with assistance from local surfers rescued seven casualties from the single rip current.

Drustan Ward, RNLI lifeguard supervisor for the area, said: "It’s been a busy week for the lifeguard teams who have dealt with a number of incidents and helped people back to safety in conditions which have become much more challenging and unpredictable.

"As the peak summer season draws to an end, a number of RNLI lifeguard patrols have finished so we strongly urge anyone visiting the beach to first check whether their chosen beach has an RNLI lifeguard service for September, and if not please consider choosing an alternative beach where lifeguards are still on duty.

"If you find yourself on a non-lifeguarded beach, be aware of your abilities if you enter the water, check the conditions and make sure someone is watching you from the shore. If you find yourself in difficulty in the sea, fight your instinct to swim, pause, and float on your back until you are able to catch your breath.

"If you have a bodyboard with you, use it as a floatation device. Then, wave one hand in the air and call for help to attract the attention of the lifeguards or members of the public who can raise the alarm."