Press Notice No: 87_12
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Posted 22:38 GMT

Three coastguard rescue teams and two lifeboats are currently searching the Helford River for a missing 36-year-old man after a member of the public spotted him in the water shouting for help earlier this evening.

The member of the public called Falmouth Coastguard at 6.41pm to report that they had seen a man in the water 200 metres off Grebe Beach. The man had then disappeared from view.

Falmouth Coastguard requested the launch of the Falmouth RNLI lifeboats, along with the rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, to begin a search of the area. They also sent the Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team to the scene.

Further investigations yielded that the missing man was seen to have come from the yacht New Moon. Other members of the public on scene reported that they had seen him in the water swimming after the dinghy belonging to the yacht. The dinghy from the yacht was subsequently located at the mouth of the Helford.

At 7.30pm Falmouth Coastguard sent two further coastguard rescue teams, from Porthoustock and Porthleven, to assist in the search. At 9.36pm the helicopter was stood down owing to low fuel levels.

Falmouth Coastguard Watch Manager Terry Collins said:

At this stage the coastguard rescue teams and lifeboats are intending to continue the search until the light fades, at which point they will have fully saturated the search area. Currently there has been nothing found. We will review the situation overnight and make a decision in the morning as to whether the search will be relaunched.


Posted By: Rosie Tapping

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office
023 8032 9401