“There’s a call from Falmouth Coastguard to our team, and they tell us that there’s a man on Towan beach who needs help getting up some steps,” says Coastguard Rescue Officer Jeremy Griffiths.
On the face of it, it seemed a very routine callout for Newquay’s Coastguard Rescue Team, a simpler beach job for the well-experienced crew. Nevertheless, they were quick to respond, gearing up and dispatching to the scene in minutes.
Coastguards arrived to find an elderly man perched on rocks beyond the beach’s breakwater, around 15 ft away from a raging tide and the safety of the shore.
“The man had been walking the beach, and, after seeing a walker in front of him walk around the breakwater, he’d followed and found himself caught by the tide,” says Jeremy, an Air Ambulance crew member who is an Officer in Charge for Newquay Coastguard.
"We quickly realised this was a far bigger job than described, and there was a high chance that our casualty could fall into the sea at any moment.”
The team called for Newquay’s lifeboat, but they knew that harsh and rocky conditions posed a significant danger to the lifeboat crew – a rescue by boat might not be possible.
The decision was made to rig a team member up in a dry suit with a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and floating line, ready and prepped to jump in the water if necessary. Fellow coastguards on cliffs above, meanwhile, prepared apparatus and climbing equipment.
“The tide and swells were coming in, with the water now reaching the man’s feet, so we decided to prepare a technical rope rescue,” adds Jeremy. “We alerted our flank team at Padstow as a fallback and the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter, who were on their way.
“The waves were crashing and engulfing our rope technician, the casualty was completely overcome and exhausted. We knew we didn’t have much time.”
One of the team at the cliff is a paramedic and received the man for assessment when he was lifted to the top. Jeremy said: “This was a really good team job, with eight people pulling the rescue off in the speed they did, working incredibly well, while having a plan B in case we need to enter the water.”
Visiting the Coastguard Station after his rescue, the casualty thanked Newquay team. He hadn’t had much energy left and was exhausted when coastguards reached him, describing what had happened as quite a close call, Jeremy says.
He added: “The tide catches people out all the time, even those that are local or experienced walkers and beach users. Whenever you think you’re due to make it back, add extra time. Tide is never an exact science and given swell, wind, and weather conditions, you can’t count on it. Be mindful and know the dangers.”
