Coastguards praise swimmer wearing brightly coloured hat

A woman, who was swept out to sea off the Cornish coast has been praised by coastguards for wearing a brightly coloured swimming hat.

The woman got into difficulty near Little Fistral beach in Newquay around 12:45pm on Saturday 6 November.

She also had a pink float and was easily seen by the caller who rang 999 and asked for the coastguard.

Newquay and Padstow coastguard rescue teams were sent along with both Newquay RNLI lifeboats and the coastguard helicopter from Newquay.

Matt Rogers, Team Leader with HM Coastguard said: “This swimmer had done a considerable amount to give herself a chance of being rescued if things went wrong. She not only had a float that was a bright pink colour but was wearing a hat of the same colour too. It meant our caller could help give us information that enabled the swimmer to be rescued quickly.

“It’s a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong even for the most experienced and why you should do all you can to help us help you if the worst happens.”

Newquay RNLI later added that people should exercise caution and be on their guard as RNLI lifeguards are no longer - as of last weekend - present on local beaches until spring.