25/10/2026
So, as some local residents around the Bay and viewers of local Facebook channels may have noticed, RNLI Torbay, as well as fellow rescue services, did indeed have a busy time of it as Storm Austen made its way across the South West over Friday night into Saturday morning.
A ‘multi-agency’ job was conducted that involved Torbay RNLI’s Severn Class All-weather Lifeboat (ALB), Torbay’s D-Class In-shore Lifeboat (ILB), Exmouth’s Shannon ALB, a regional Coastguard Helicopter, a Coastguard Fixed wing plane, the Police and various local Coastguard Mobile units.
Our initial operation lasted 9 hours, with our ALB at sea for over 8 hours and ILB at sea for over 2.
The tasking from the Coastguard was to assist in a Police incident. A male person was believed to have entered the water in the Goodrington area of Torbay. What we understand is that CCTV footage indicated him leaving a nearby hotel dressed in shorts and T shirt around lunch time (12:45pm). He did not return that afternoon. As a consequence, the request was put out by Solent Coastguard to Torbay RNLI at 6:09pm.
An ILB volunteer crew were paged for by our on-Duty Lifeboat Authority officer (DLA) at 6:12pm. And an ALB volunteer crew pager went out at 6:16pm after our DLA checked in with our station Coxswain.
Torbay’s ILB launched at 6:35pm to conduct a shoreline search and the ALB launched at 6:38pm.
The Coastguard also requested Exmouth RNLI’s assistance and the station’s Shannon reported launching at 6:35pm. Our own two lifeboats discovered and linked up with a Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter and several Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRTs) and a drone unit were had also been tasked to search the shore area.
It was a breezy evening with Westerly wind ranging from Force 5 to 8 throughout the search.
Storm Austen’s presence meant the sea state and weather conditions were challenging, severely hampering the ability to spot the casualty in or near the water, and explaining why so many search assets were called upon.
Torbay’s ILB crew conducted various shoreline searches whilst our ALB moved from an initial shoreline search to three ‘parallel track search’ patterns, one of which was shared with Exmouth. Exmouth completed their own shoreline and parallel track searches, including the one we shared.
During the ALB search we also received a radio call for help from a lone fisherman whose small fishing boat had suffered engine failure and was sheltering at anchor from the weather, tucked in very close to the cliffs near London Bridge on the north side of the Bay. Our ALB towed her to the entrance to Torquay harbour by the ALB, where the tow was passed to the ILB to take her into Torquay Harbour.
The ILB then completed a second shoreline search and afterwards returned to refuel. With conditions deteriorating and searching ability further compromised by growing rolling swells and white horses, Solent Coastguard felt the benefit of continuing the ILB’s presence was questionable and it was agreed to stand her down at 9:10pm.
The Rescue 94 helicopter similarly had to refuel (at Newquay) around this time. Torbay’s ALB also returned to station briefly to replace a crew member who had to head off for his own work commitments.
Solent Coastguard then also called in a fixed wing aircraft to assist the search. All returning assets, including the fixed wing aircraft as well as Exmouth’s Shannon, resumed search patterns which crisscrossed the Bay.
At 00:25 the searches moved to Hopes Nose and the Mussel Farm and further offshore from there with the Shannon conducting the closest-to-shore leg.
Exmouth’s crew returned to their base at 1:15am
Torbay’s ALB continued its final search legs and once finished, were released, along with the two air units at 2:08am. Our ALB returned back to station at 3:10am after refuelling at the Fish Dock.
Later that morning, at 11:45am, Solent Coastguard requested a daylight search at the Roundham. Our volunteer Crew were paged at 11:56am assembled at 12:01pm and launched at 12:10pm. Their search included putting two members ashore to explore the rocks at Roundham. Conditions were still not easy with driving rain, strong West to Northwest winds and turbulent seas.
Nobody was found and the crew were stood down by Solent returning to station by 2:48pm where they made the lifeboat ready for service before heading home to well-deserved lunch.
Whilst the two shouts did not lead to a conclusive outcome, the response of our volunteer Crew, along with the sustained presence of in-station support throughout, including our DLAs and attending Crew’s family (who turned up to provide hot teas and bacon sarnies to returning crew members), was commendably impressive, over what has been a memorable passing-by of Storm Austen.
RNLI
Photos include shots taken by Torbay crew member Nigel Millard in other similar storm conditions. Also included are the search patterns of Torbay undertaken by Torbay RNLI’s Severn Class lifeboat in the early hours of Saturday 24th October 2026.
