Falmouth Lifeboat Station has had its busiest year ever with a total of 118 shouts in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 110 in 2021.

Last year started with two separate services for both boats on January 1 and became the station's busiest year on record with a total of 118 shouts.

The all-weather Severn class lifeboat 'Richard Cox Scott' launched on service 30 times, with the inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat 'Robina Nixon Chard' launching 88 times.

The call-outs ranged from escorting the 195m ro-ro cargo ship Mazarine (that had run aground on Wolf Rock) to safe haven, to rescuing dogs and persons cut off by the tide.

It also saw the return of the Tall Ships race to the town, the opening our the new souvenir shop in Arwenack Street and the passing out of two new coxswains for the all-weather lifeboat and three new helms for our inshore lifeboat.

In total the all-weather lifeboat spent nearly 44 hours at sea on service, with the inshore lifeboat spending over 93 hours afloat..........a total of over 666 crew hours spent at sea and 240 shore-crew hours spent at the station in support.

The new year got off to a sad start as well when both boats were called out on New Year's Day following multiple 999 calls about a body in the water between Gyllyngvase and Swanpool beaches.  

Initially the all-weather lifeboat 'Richard Cox Scott' was paged at 10.50am, but reports of a second person in the water quickly led to the inshore lifeboat 'Robina Nixon Chard' being paged minutes later.

Both boats launched by 11.10am, with the Inshore lifeboat in the command of Tamara Brookes on her first shout since qualifying as a helm last month.

The lifeboats arrived on scene just eight minutes after launching, to be informed that the casualty was ashore and being attended to by the Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team and ambulance paramedics, however before being stood down by the Coastguard, the boats were tasked to carry out a shoreline search between the two beaches.

Once only one casualty was confirmed, both lifeboats returned to station by 11.45am.

2024 is the 200th anniversary of the RNLI, when there will be some exciting news / events coming up.

To donate to support Falmouth lifeboats, visit https:justgiving.com/campaign/falmouth-lifeboat-station Photos- Simon Culliford/ RNLI