Lifeboat crew were called out to three rescues at sea and on the river in the course of just a few hours.

Volunteer crew with Plymouth’s all-weather lifeboat assisted with the medical evacuation of a crew member from a fishing vessel 12 miles off Rame Head on Wednesday. Lifeboatmen worked alongside the Coastguard helicopter to winch the fisherman off the boat, and he was taken to Derriford Hospital for treatment.

While out on this call, Plymouth Lifeboat Station responded to a call from a yachtsman on the River Tamar whose tender had sunk whilst he was on his way to his yacht.

The sailor had swum to another boat and was uninjured; lifeboat crew assisted him by pumping water from the tender, relocating his oars and ensuring he returned safely to shore where he could make repairs to the boat.

Just two hours later Plymouth RNLI was tasked to attend a 999 call to a broken down boat between Rame Head and Cawsand with two people on board. The lifeboat took the vessel to Cawsand under tow.

‘We are anticipating another busy bank holiday weekend and would ask members of the public and mariners in general to stay safe, respect the water and remain vigilant when on or around the water,’ said Chris Westall, Plymouth lifeboat operations manager.

‘We would also ask them to ensure they have suitable safety equipment for whatever activity they are participating in and to make sure they have a sufficient means to call for help should they need to.’