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Fisherman rescued after falling overboard thanks to personal locator beacon

Fisherman rescued after falling overboard thanks to personal locator beacon

SA Sam Acourt Updated September 03, 2021

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Fisherman rescued after falling overboard thanks to personal locator beacon

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Salcombe RNLI and Hope Cove Lifeboat were among the emergency services called when a man fell overboard from a fishing boat off Bolt Tail.

One of the crew of the fishing vessel Sidney Rose found out how important their personal locator beacon (PLB) on Friday, 3 September, when they fell overboard at 10.50am.

At 10.50am, HM Coastguard were alerted to the activation of a PLB approximately seven nautical miles off the coast of Bolt Tail, Devon. Plymouth and Salcombe RNLI lifeboats were launched, alongside Hope Cove Independent lifeboat and the search and rescue helicopter from Newquay.

At 11.25am, a Mayday call was received from the fishing vessel the Sidney Rose, with captain Ben reporting that one of his crew was missing. He had awoken from his bunk to find the crewman missing, as well as a lifejacket with a PLB attached.

The search and rescue lifeboats and helicopter immediately began a search based on the movements of the fishing vessel alongside the PLB alert. The Newquay helicopter crew located the fisherman within two minutes of searching – with the PLB all but lighting the way – with the Hope Cove lifeboat then arriving to pull a very grateful fisherman to safety.

But more than an hour in the water took its toll and the very cold man was winched to the helicopter for onward transport to Derriford Hospital to check him over.

Matt Rogers, Team Leader at MRCC Falmouth, said: “He was unlucky to end up in the water at all, but he survived because he did everything right.

“He had a Personal Locator Beacon and a lifejacket and they were the key things that kept him safe until we were able to get to him.

“Our helicopter found him within about two minutes of arrival and we were quickly able to recover him. He was in the water for more than an hour so was understandably cold.

“But he was prepared and that kept him alive – we have a happy ending to what could so easily have turned into a tragedy.

"It is a perfect example of how important a lifejacket and PLB can be – the sea is a lonely and dangerous place if you aren't prepared.

Even when you do everything right, it can still all go wrong when you are miles from shore with only a floating vessel between you and the deep blue sea.

Image: The HM Coastguard helicopter in training - credit Glynnphotographic