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The RNLI’s Penlee lifeboat tasked with medevac then redirected

Lifeboats News Release

At 10am on 17 July 2025 Penlee’s all-weather lifeboat ‘Ivan Ellen’ was tasked by Falmouth Coastguard with a medevac for a crew member with an injured leg aboard the container ship ‘Cape Corfu’, 30 miles SW of Mount’s Bay.

RNLI/Philip Monckton

Penlee lifeboat pictured on return to Newlyn
Penlee launched their all-weather lifeboat the ‘Ivan Ellen’ with Coxswain Amy Smith and 5 RNLI volunteers aboard. While en route a helicopter was tasked to the casualty instead and ‘Ivan Ellen’ was redirected to assist Sennen Cove Lifeboat under the command of Coxswain Nick Hichens which had been tasked to a fishing vessel which was taking on water off Pendeen.

The Sennen Cove Lifeboat ‘City of London III’ had stood by while the fishing vessel cleared some of the water and restarted their engines and was escorting the casualty which had 3 submersible pumps on board. At Land’s End, Sennen handed over the escort to Penlee who continued the escort safely back to Newlyn harbour.

Notes to editors
Penlee RNLI is based in Newlyn, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 5HW. The volunteers crew an all-weather Severn Class Lifeboat the Ivan Ellen and a B class Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboat the Mollie and Ivor Dent. The Penlee Lifeboat has a rich 200 years history of saving lives at sea.
RNLI media contacts For more information, please contact Phil Monckton, Penlee Lifeboat Press Officer on 07879818095 or [email protected], or Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Manager [email protected] or Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Communications Officer, on 07786 668847 or [email protected].

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The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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