Mullion Coastguard launch after man gets caught in rip current

Mullion Coastguard launched this afternoon after an individual got into difficulty at Poldhu.

The team was tasked at around 2:30pm following several 999 calls of a male who was seen caught in a rip current.

"The casualty did the right thing swimming across the rip until he was rescued by Dan Joel Surf School and brought to safety," a spokesperson for the coastguard said.

The team offered words of advice and remained on scene to ensure no one else found themselves in difficulty before returning to the station.

What is a rip current?

Rip currents occur in bodies of water with breaking waves; they are channels of water that flow at a faster pace than the surrounding area.

Why are they dangerous?

Swimmers who are caught in rip currents can get sucked away at speeds of up to 8 feet per second, far too fast for many swimmers to make it safely back to shore.

What to do if you get caught in one? The RNLI says...

Don't try to swim against it or you'll get exhausted. If you can stand, wade don't swim. If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore. Always raise your hand and shout for help.

Click here to see more from Mullion Coastguard.

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