On Friday, 20 March 2026, at 15.25hrs the pagers sounded for our volunteer crew to launch our D-Class lifeboat, George Bearman II, to assist two people cut off by the tide west of Dawlish.
The lifeboat was launched into calm seas and light wind with Jake Butt at the helm on his first shout since passing out and made best speed to the location of the casualties. On arriving it was clear they were unable to make it to shore safely and were helped safely aboard the lifeboat, once aboard they were returned to the safety of the beach. The lifeboat returned to the station washed down and refuelled ready for the next shout.
Jake Butt said ‘ In terms of my first shout as helm it was great as I had a very experienced helm in the boat which enabled me to build some confidence with commanding the boat during an incident. Thankful to the station as a whole for the support!
The casualties did the right thing, realised it was unsafe for them to attempt returning to the beach they originally came from. Used a mobile that they had with them to call for help. (999 and asking for the coastguard) then waving to the boat once we arrived on scene.’
The RNLI encourages coastal visitors to download the what3words app to pinpoint their exact location to a 3m square enabling faster rescues. By sharing the unique three-word address with 999 operators, the RNLI, Coastguard, and police can precisely locate casualties, especially in areas with limited landmarks.