AN injured kayaker was helped to safety by the Looe Lifeboat crew.

Falmouth coastguard received a call just before 5pm from a woman who said she had injured her leg after falling from a kayak. Together with her partner, she had managed to get ashore at a small cove to the west of Portwrinkle, from where they raised the alarm.

’Our volunteer RNLI crew pagers sounded at 4.57 pm, ’ said an RNLI spokesperson.

’Eight minutes later, the charity’s D Class inshore lifeboat with Dan Margetts at the helm was launched by tractor driver Eric Candy, supported by head launcher Nick Pope with shore crew Dave Jackman and Jack Spree. Immediately afterwards they launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.’

Crew faced challenging conditions with waves breaking close to shore due to the freshening onshore wind and flooding tide – a situation known as a shore dump.

Toby Bray later commented that they had to land the crew at the far side of the beach as the water goes from ankle deep to chest high in one wave.

Once on the beach, crew Victoria Thomas and Aaron Rix assessed the casualty and administered casualty care. The Atlantic 85, helmed by Matt Jaycock, with crew Clive Palfrey and Goron Jones stood by offshore to provide a communications link to the coastguard and ambulance teams waiting at Portwrinkle harbour.

With her leg bandaged, the casualty and her partner were taken onboard the D Class inshore lifeboat, and conveyed around to a waiting ambulance at Portwrinkle harbour.