Busy weekend for emergency services
Emergency services were at full throttle over the Bank Holiday weekend along South East Cornwall's coastline, engaged in two incidents in the Rame area, two at Looe and one at Fowey.
Locals and visitors soaking up the hot sun on Tregantle Beach, near Rame Head on Monday, were evacuated for over two hours by coastguards and police, as another in a long line of phosphorus flares, used by submarines on exercise, was washed ashore.
They were allowed back after it was blown up in a controlled explosion by a Royal Navy Bomb Disposal team from Plymouth.
In the first of the two incidents at Looe, a Royal Navy helicopter from Culdrose winched to safety a disabled child who had been cut off by the tide at East Looe on Saturday afternoon. The Looe Inshore Lifeboat, Spirit of the RAOC, also assisted in the operation, crewed by David Jackman (helm), Bud Coote and Robert Chudleigh. The youngster was taken to a local doctor by Looe Coastguard.
The helicopter had already been in the air before being diverted to Looe. Along with Tamar Coastguard and Plymouth RNLI Lifeboat it had been engaged in an extensive search at Whitsand Bay after a person was reported in the water off Sharrow Point. However, nothing untoward was found.
There was also a serious incident in Looe at about 10.25pm on Monday evening, which resulted in nearly all the rescue services scrambling to the aid of a 20 year old with head injuries in the water at Pennyland, on the West side of Looe river .
Mark Lipscombe had fallen down the steep steps leading on to the river path, and had banged his head on rocks before falling into the water. Shouts from his accompanying friend were heard by some visitors who alerted chairman of East Looe Town Trust, Mr Don Webb, who had been on seafront duty in the shelter.
Mr Webb called an ambulance, and raced to West Looe with a blanket where he was first on the scene and able to make the injured man more comfortable before the emergency services arrived. He said it looked as if he had been bleeding badly from a head wound but it had almost stopped when he got there.
In attendance with the ambulance paramedics, who transported the man to Derriford Hospital, were Looe Coastguard Team, Looe Fire Brigade and the police. The Inshore Lifeboat was also alerted and launched into the river, crewed by David Hains (helm), Tom Shaw and Brian Bowdler.
Mr Lipscombe was released from hospital on Tuesday.