Lockdown exercise turned into a call for help to emergency services for two surfers yesterday.

St Agnes Lifeboat was launched just before 4pm on Friday after the volunteer crew was paged over reports of a surfer in trouble in the Chapel Porth area, near St Agnes.

St Agnes Coastguard Rescue Team members were also alerted at the same time.

In choppy north easterly seas, the St Agnes station’s D-Class inshore lifeboat made haste to the scene, with senior helm Gavin Forehead in command accompanied by volunteer crew Lucie McNeil and Tom Knight.

Arriving in under ten minutes the crew liaised with the coastguard rescue team that was already on scene.

Fortunately the two surfers were already being helped to safety by other surfers in the water.

Video: St Agnes RNLI

A St Agnes RNLI spokesperson said: "The shore based team were able to identify two surfers for whom concerns had been raised. Two more local surfers were already in the process of guiding them back to shore.

"With the two casualties safely on the beach, the lifeboat crew stood by until St Agnes Coastguard reported that the young women were safe and well."

The lifeboat returned to her station at Trevaunance Cove, where she was cleaned down, refuelled and rehoused ready for service again by 5pm.