Search operation in Torbay during Storm Austen

RNLI Torbay, as well as fellow rescue services, were called to an extensive search, as Storm Austen made its way across the South West over Friday night into Saturday morning.

A ‘multi-agency’ job was conducted, which involved Torbay RNLI’s Severn Class All-weather Lifeboat (ALB), Torbay’s D-Class In-shore Lifeboat (ILB), Exmouth’s Shannon ALB, a regional Coastguard Helicopter, a Coastguard Fixed wing plane, the police and various local Coastguard Mobile units.

The initial operation lasted nine hours, with an all-weather lifeboat at sea for over eight hours and inshore lifeboat for over two.

The tasking from the Coastguard was to assist in a police incident. A man was believed to have entered the water in the Goodrington area of Torbay. CCTV footage indicated him leaving a nearby hotel dressed in shorts and T shirt at around lunchtime (12:45pm). He did not return that afternoon. As a consequence, the request was put out by Solent Coastguard to Torbay RNLI at 6:09pm.

An ILB volunteer crew were paged for by the On-Duty Lifeboat Authority officer (DLA) at 6:12pm. And an ALB volunteer crew pager went out at 6:16pm.

Torbay’s ILB launched at 6:35pm, to conduct a shoreline search and the ALB launched at 6:38pm.

The Coastguard also requested Exmouth RNLI’s assistance and the station’s Shannon reported launching at 6:35pm.

It was a breezy evening with a westerly wind ranging from Force 5 to 8 throughout the search.

Storm Austen’s presence meant the sea state and weather conditions were challenging, severely hampering the ability to spot the casualty in or near the water and explaining why so many search assets were called upon.

Torbay’s ILB crew conducted various shoreline searches, while the ALB moved from an initial shoreline search to three ‘parallel track search’ patterns, one of which was shared with Exmouth. Exmouth also completed its own shoreline and parallel track searches.

The ILB then completed a second shoreline search and afterwards returned to refuel. With conditions deteriorating and searching ability further compromised by growing rolling swells and white horses, Solent Coastguard felt the benefit of continuing the ILB’s presence was questionable and it was agreed to stand her down at 9:10pm.

The Rescue 94 helicopter similarly had to refuel (at Newquay). Torbay’s ALB also returned to station briefly, to replace a crew member who had to head off for his own work commitments.

Solent Coastguard then also called in a fixed-wing aircraft, to assist in the search. All returning assets, including the fixed-wing aircraft, as well as Exmouth’s Shannon, resumed search patterns which criss-crossed the Bay.

At 00.25 the searches moved to Hopes Nose and the Mussel Farm and further offshore from there with the Shannon conducting the closest-to-shore leg.

Exmouth’s crew returned to base at 1.15am.

Torbay’s ALB continued its final search legs and, once finished, was released, along with the two air units at 2.08am. The ALB returned back to station at 3.10am, after refuelling at the Fish Dock.

Later that morning, at 11.45am, Solent Coastguard requested a daylight search at the Roundham. The volunteer crew was paged at 11.56am, assembled at 12.01pm and launched at 12:10pm. Its search included putting two members ashore, to explore the rocks at Roundham. Conditions were still not easy, with driving rain, strong west to northwest winds and turbulent seas.

Nobody was found and the crew was stood down by Solent, returning to station by 2.48pm where it made the lifeboat ready for service, before heading home.