Early Morning Rescue: RNLI Races to Save Unwell Sailor as Children Remain Aboard Yacht

Crew launched at 5am after skipper suffers medical emergency

St Ives RNLI volunteers were awoken in the early hours of Tuesday 1st April after a sailor onboard a yacht suffered a medical episode 16 miles north of St Ives Head.

Pagers went off at 4.50am, and the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat Nora Stachura was launched just 10 minutes later at 5am, following a request from HM Coastguard.

The Coastguard rescue helicopter was also tasked and arrived at the scene shortly after the lifeboat.

Children left aboard as skipper airlifted to hospital

With the skipper unwell and only one adult and two young children remaining aboard the yacht, a decision was made to winch a helicopter crew member and two RNLI crew members onto the vessel. The skipper was then airlifted and taken to Royal Cornwall Hospital.

St Ives RNLI Coxswain Rob Cocking assessed the situation and decided the nearest safe harbour was Padstow, due to the yacht being a single fin and the weather conditions in St Ives Bay. St Ives RNLI took command of the yacht and began escorting it toward Padstow.

Padstow RNLI launch to assist and tow yacht to safety

Padstow RNLI launched their Tamar class lifeboat at 7am and headed 11.5 miles west southwest of Trevose to rendezvous with St Ives RNLI. After taking over the escort, St Ives RNLI was stood down and returned to station at around 9am.

Padstow RNLI Coxswain Richard Pitman assessed the conditions and determined that due to tide and access, the best option was to tow the yacht. A Padstow crew member boarded the yacht, a tow line was set, and the vessel was safely brought into Padstow Harbour.

The Padstow lifeboat was re-fuelled and ready for service again by 12.30pm.

📷The casualty yacht and St Ives Shannon class lifeboat - Credit: RNLI/