On the morning of the station’s Sea Sunday service, 13 July crew volunteers were called out twice to rescue two casualties, both in peril on the sea.
At 5.04am, crew volunteers’ pagers were triggered following a request from Brixham Coastguard to launch the inshore lifeboat George Bearman following several 999 calls from members of the public. A canoeist had been spotted in difficulty and shouting for help near Bull Hill, close to the entrance to the marina. Within eight minutes, crew volunteers were on scene and had quickly retrieved the casualty from the canoe, from which he had just fallen and was taking on water. The volunteers brought the casualty to shore and handed him over to coastguards and police.
Deputy Launching Authority, Dave Ashman was on duty;
‘This is our second rescue within a week where we have recovered casualties from cold water following calls from members of the public. In both circumstances, the rescues were helped by fast-acting individuals calling 999 for the Coastguard. This in turn helps us to respond quickly in those vital minutes, to save lives at sea.’
At 9.52am, Brixham Coastguard launched George Bearman again to assist Devon and Cornwall Police and Teignmouth Coastguard retrieve a man in distress near Dawlish Warren. A police helicopter helped locate the casualty towards the riverside. Within 10 minutes, three crew volunteers were on scene and found the casualty, a man in his 30s in a location inaccessible to other rescue services. Coastguards requested a fourth crew volunteer, a Paramedic to escort the casualty back in the inshore lifeboat with the other volunteers. At 10.42am, the four crew volunteers passed the casualty over to an awaiting ambulance.
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