Five members of the RNLI at Perranporth have new mobile phones thanks to the Vodafone Livesaver Award scheme and readers of the Packet.

The group were nominated top of the list this year in the competition run run in liaison with Packet Newspapers both in paper and on line.

The group of unsun g heroes were involved in a rescue on the North Cornish Coast. Above is Robin Howell, Kris O'Neill, Sophie Grant-Crookston and David Green pictured using their new phones on the beach.(this is not l to r.) Sophie Grant-Crookson, had already become the first female lifeguard to receive a special medal after she saved the life of a surfer stranded on rocks at Droskyn Head at Perranporth in September last year.

Sophie was one of a team of RNLI lifeguards responding to a 36-year old surfer who got into difficulties after being swept along by a large sea swell. He was left clinging to a rock ledge With two-metre high waves rebounding off the high cliffs on three sides of the gully creating a cauldron effect, the conditions were extreme.

So when Lifeguards Kris O'Neill and Sophie Grant-Crookston arrived on scene, they knew they would not be able to get the rescue water craft in close enough to reach the surfer.

At this point Sophie volunteered to enter the water to reach the surfer in the hope of preparing him for rescue, -even though it was uncertain how the pair could be reached in the prevailing sea conditions. Luckily, Lifeguard Robin Howell was able to reach them. Also involved were other members of the team.