| Incident Date | 17-10-2024 |
| Launch Instruct | 12:50 |
| Lifeboat Used | ILB |
| Location of Casualty | Torbay area. |
Solent Coastguard issued Torbay Lifeboat station a ‘tasking’ request at 12.34pm on Thursday 17th October – to conduct a shoreline search from Paignton Pier to Meadfoot beach for the ILB and a patterned search of the Bay for the ALB.
A Coastguard Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter, ‘Helo 924’, was also tasked to join the search HM Coastguard’s request followed the discovery of a pile of female clothes on Tor Abbey Sands at 8:45am. As they were still unclaimed after over 3 hours, the incident was raised to ‘Suspected Missing Person’.
The D-Class in shore lifeboat (ILB) launched at 12.50pm to conduct a shoreline search. And our Severn Class all weather Lifeboat (ALB) launched at 13.03pm to conduct a patterned search of the Bay.
After the ILB completed two length-to-length shoreline searches, she returned to base for a change of crew whilst ALB continued her patterned search in coordination with Helo 924.
Meanwhile ashore, Coastguard Rescue Teams and Police conducted searches in and around the area where the clothes were found with the use of drones.
At 15:00pm both lifeboats were stood down after a call was received by Police from a friend of the girl whose clothes had been found. We were informed she was actually safe and well and that she had simply forgotten to pick these items up from the beach the evening before.
Torbay Lifeboats 