Lost at Sea

F and I often go to Godrevy with chips and the dog to to enjoy the scenery and a meander on the headland. The view across the bay to St Ives is fantastic. Surfers play in the waves and dolphins are often seen in the bay.

Many is the time that I have been there and wished I had some binoculars or a decent camera with a telescopic lens to take nice piccies of the lighthouse. Last week F found a pair of binoculars for me at a carboot and won a bid on ebay for a lovely new camera. So tonight seemed the perfect night to try them both out and eat some chips as well.

We got there and saw the helicopter over head as we turned in, not uncommon. As we got to the first car park we found a National Trust staff member stopping people from driving up to the car park on the headland because a rescue was in progress. We obviously hopped it was a practice and ate our chips in the first car park.

While eating two RNLI personnel in boiler suits walked past us and then a surf rescue van went past heading up the headland. We began to realise that it probably wasn't a practice. Then we saw a second helicopter, and later the first one (maybe) again.

We headed along the coast path onto the headland and with our new found distance viewing capabilities it was easy to see that a huge operation was in progress. Personnel were stationed along the cliffs. Loads of lifeguards were on the rocks towards the lighthouse. A large lifeboat and a smaller one were moving around, searching.

By this time cars were being allowed to the second car park, not a particularly good sign as lifeguards were continuing to arrive. F moved the car to the second car park.

I kept looking out to sea, keenly aware that someone was missing. Scanning the waves with my binoculars. And then I saw something. A bobbing object near a marker flag, strangely upright in the water. I approached a policeman and found it again. He used my binoculars to search for it, saying if it was anything, chances are he would be able to tell. As he spotted it, a van with three lifeguards came by and he stopped them and they looked as well.

No one was sure so they sent the lifeboat over. It turned out to be an unusually large lot of fishing gear. The policeman made sure to say that he was glad we had spotted it and said something, because it could have been something. It was just a shame that it wasn't.

I felt somewhat upset and down and we left shortly after because there was no reason to stay and Little Dog did need a run...

I am none the wiser as to what was actually going on. Nothing online, yet. Nothing on the local news, yet. I expect they don't want people flooding up there. The currents are fierce around that headland. Rip tides sweep out to sea from the sands of the bay. I shall find out through the grapevine. Both F and I know lifeguards and the call obviously went out to them.

I never expected to be using my new present for something like that.... Time for chamomile tea and winding down....