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Warning to check conditions before you take to waves
Torbay lifeboat crew to the rescue
Reporter:
jim Parker
14 Aug 2025 1:49 PM
Email:
jim.parker@clearskypublishing.co.uk
The sun has been out and so, too, has the Torbay lifeboat crew with a series of potentially life-saving call-outs in the past week or so.
The sun has been out and so, too, has the Torbay lifeboat crew with a series of potentially life-saving call-outs in the past week or so.
The volunteers attended simultaneous late afternoon shouts off the beaches in Paignton.
In sunny weather, but with offshore winds, Solent Coastguard advised that they’d received a report of a male hanging on to a buoy off Goodrington Beach and calling for help. At the same time, the coastguard advised they’d been receiving initial information about two females on a paddleboard being blown out to sea off nearby Broadsands Beach and unable to return due to the offshore wind.
With the volunteer crews mustered at the Brixham lifeboat station as information on both incidents was evolving, the duty Launch Authority and duty Coxswain gave the go ahead to immediately launch the inshore lifeboat to Goodrington and Torbay’s Severn-Class All Weather Lifeboat to the incident off Broadsands Beach. Both lifeboats launched with a total of 10 volunteer crew on board.
On arriving at Goodrington Beach, the male was found to have also been off Broadsands Beach, not Goodrington Beach, and had been assisted in the meantime by a passing boat and brought safely to shore there.
Similarly, as the ALB arrived at Broadsands Beach, the crew found the two paddleboarders were safely back on shore and no longer required assistance.
Both boats and their crews were able to stand down and return to the lifeboat station after about half an hour in the Bay.
In another alert off Broadsands Beach, the off-duty volunteer Launch Authority saw two similar incidents unfold. In the first, a male beachgoer was seen paddling out from the beach to assist two young girls return to the beach in a lightweight inflatable boat. Shortly afterwards he witnessed an inflatable kayak and occupant also being assisted back to beach. Both were resolved quickly before rescue services were notified.
Duty Coxswain James Hoare said: "We’re pleased that in all four incidents the water users were helped safely back to the beach. Remember to always check the wind direction before setting out onto the water. And winds may be stronger the further offshore you are. If you ever see water users needing help, call 999. The lifeboat crew are always on standby and ready to help."
Two incidents in one night followed. On the first shout, as the sun was setting shortly before 9pm, a number of 999 calls to HM Coastguard reported two teenagers on a paddleboard 200m off Goodrington Beach and struggling to get back to shore.
The Inshore Lifeboat, Leslie and Mary Daws, launched at 9pm with three volunteer crew onboard. Shortly before reaching the scene, the crew received word over the radio that a nearby speedboat had been able to assist the paddleboarders back to shore.
The ILB and her crew returned to the lifeboat station in Brixham harbour and were readied for service again at 9:16pm. Just two hours later, the all-weather Lifeboat and her seven volunteer crew were called into action to assist a yacht out at sea 11 miles North-East of Berry Head.
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