'Mass rescue' of swimmers caught in rip current by RNLI lifeguards

The Whitsand Bay rescues were among several over less than a week

The "mass rescue" of eight people caught in a Cornish rip current was among several RNLI missions at Whitsand Bay in the past week.

Lifeguards used rescue boards to save the group off Tregantle Beach on Sunday, said the charity.

Two of those brought to shore had been "very close to drowning", said Charlie Gillett of the RNLI.

He said rip current conditions had created "an increased danger to all those who enter the water".

Mr Gillett, RNLI lead lifeguard supervisor for south east Cornwall, said: "Two of the last casualties who were pulled furthest out to sea were very close to drowning, however, due to the quick actions of our lifeguard team, both lives were saved and they walked away from the incident unharmed."

Lifeguards have used rescue boards for many of the successful rescues

On Thursday, a man's life was saved by lifeguards and the Tregahawke RNLI Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) at Sharrow beach after he swam out beyond the red and yellow flags and into a rip current, the RNLI said.

Also that day, there were launches of the same boat to neighbouring Tregantle and Freathy, where lifeguards gave safety advice and warnings to the public amid "dangerous conditions".

In response to multiple 999 calls, Falmouth Coastguard tasked Tregonhawke lifeguards to a capsized kayaker at Wiggle cliff on Saturday.

That day, a boy was rescued after being caught in a rip current just outside of the lifeguard flags and was brought back to safety via a rescue board.

Multiple launches of the IRB took place again at Freathy after more people became caught in rip currents, the RNLI said.

Also on Saturday, a number of people were caught in rip currents at Long Sands, to the west of Tregantle, and had to be assisted by lifeguards.

On Sunday, passengers from a 20ft yacht anchored offshore from Tregonhawke were capsized while rowing to shore and had to transported back to their yacht by the RNLI, with their tender towed behind them.

On Monday, a 72-year-old man fell 4m (13ft) from a sheer cliff path at Sharrow beach and was taken by the Looe RNLI lifeboat to Tregantle, where an ambulance took him to hospital.

The RNLI warned visitors to be aware of strong rip currents, weather, tide conditions and to swim between the red and yellow flags at a lifeguarded beach.

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