At 1.47pm this afternoon the pagers sounded and the Inshore lifeboat ‘Mollie and Ivor Dent’ and her volunteer crew were tasked to launch by Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre.

A 20-foot speedboat, with two persons onboard, had suffered engine failure off Porthcurno.

At 1.52pm, just as the Inshore lifeboat was about to launch from Newlyn the crew were redirected to another incident - a concerned member of the public had contacted HM Coastguard via the 999 system and reported seeing a 17-foot fast angling boat, with two persons onboard, in difficulties about 400 yards off the shore at Rinsey Head - the occupants of this vessel were waving a paddle to draw attention to their predicament.

In view of the fact that the vessel at Porthcurno was safely at anchor, the ‘Mollie and Ivor Dent’ sped across Mount’s Bay to Rinsey Head. On arrival they found that two fishing boats from Porthleven already had the casualty under tow. The Inshore lifeboat ‘Stood By’ for a short time and then returned to Newlyn.

In the meantime the all-weather lifeboat ‘Ivan Ellen’ launched from Newlyn, headed down the western shore, and located the casualty vessel at anchor off Porthcurno - the speedboat was towed back to Penzance Harbour.

ILB Crew - Andrew Wood (Helm), James Roberts and Amy Smith.

ALB Crew - Cox Patch Harvey, Mech Tony Rendle, Dan Sell, Andrew Stevens, Adrian Thomas and Neville Pittman.

Onboard 📸 by crew member Andrew Stevens.