Yesterday at Rame Head we almost witnessed a helicopter rescue. Before we walked down towards Polhawn we heard the coastguard at Rame explaining to some other walkers that the rescue services had been called from RAF Culdrose, to help a woman who was apparently semi-conscious on the `main beach` at Whitsand. I put `main beach` in inverted commas (did you see?) because I wasnt aware there was a main beach, and distrust this description, however seemingly assured, although I certainly cant defend this quirk, or whatever it may be. This is all I heard as we walked past, so it`s only half or maybe a fraction of a story.
Anyway, we saw the helicopter arriving from the West along the coastline, and watched it set down just behind Alice`s Rock - ( this may not be called Alice`s Rock by anyone else though, but it`s been given that name in our household, unsurprisingly, due to a plaque afixed to face of said rock, with ALICE engraved upon it, but no other details, so another fraction of a story here too) - the helicopter was on the beach for quite some time. We thought it would fly off toward Derriford and the hospital, but instead, it rose up and flew along to Sharrow Point, and set down again near the Lifeguard hut. This was a mystery! We speculated, as Sunday walkers are wont to do, and the best we could come up with was this: the 20th of September is Compulsory Beachside Injury Day. The helicopter finally flew off, heading inland, presumably to the hospital.
On returning past Rame coastguard station, we overheard the very informative man on duty explaining to yet another gaggle of walkers, that after rescuing the semi-conscious woman, the helicopter then went to the aid of a man with a dislocated shoulder. By this point I was tempted to fall down on the sod in a spontaneous fit of slight tiredness, in the hope that the helicopter would come and rescue me too. It cost HOW MUCH every time a helicopter is used? O, thousands and thousands I think the answer is. Well, the coastguard seemed convinced that no-one would have been able to ferry a stretcher up the cliff path, especially one weighed down with a real poorly person. If you have any questions about this unsatisfactory lack of detail, ask him.
I trust the wounded parties are now feeling much better.
What I want to know is, where was the helicopter when this sheep got stranded off Gara Point the other week? It was marooned on a miserable lump of rock by the incoming tide, and at this juncture it may be useful to know that a sheep is worth around a tenner hereabouts. I only wish that sheep had been at Whitsand yesterday afternoon. He`d be sitting up in bed having jelly and a cup of sweet tea by now.
Anyway, we saw the helicopter arriving from the West along the coastline, and watched it set down just behind Alice`s Rock - ( this may not be called Alice`s Rock by anyone else though, but it`s been given that name in our household, unsurprisingly, due to a plaque afixed to face of said rock, with ALICE engraved upon it, but no other details, so another fraction of a story here too) - the helicopter was on the beach for quite some time. We thought it would fly off toward Derriford and the hospital, but instead, it rose up and flew along to Sharrow Point, and set down again near the Lifeguard hut. This was a mystery! We speculated, as Sunday walkers are wont to do, and the best we could come up with was this: the 20th of September is Compulsory Beachside Injury Day. The helicopter finally flew off, heading inland, presumably to the hospital.
On returning past Rame coastguard station, we overheard the very informative man on duty explaining to yet another gaggle of walkers, that after rescuing the semi-conscious woman, the helicopter then went to the aid of a man with a dislocated shoulder. By this point I was tempted to fall down on the sod in a spontaneous fit of slight tiredness, in the hope that the helicopter would come and rescue me too. It cost HOW MUCH every time a helicopter is used? O, thousands and thousands I think the answer is. Well, the coastguard seemed convinced that no-one would have been able to ferry a stretcher up the cliff path, especially one weighed down with a real poorly person. If you have any questions about this unsatisfactory lack of detail, ask him.
I trust the wounded parties are now feeling much better.
What I want to know is, where was the helicopter when this sheep got stranded off Gara Point the other week? It was marooned on a miserable lump of rock by the incoming tide, and at this juncture it may be useful to know that a sheep is worth around a tenner hereabouts. I only wish that sheep had been at Whitsand yesterday afternoon. He`d be sitting up in bed having jelly and a cup of sweet tea by now.
as an RN veteran I feel obliged to point out that its not 'RAF Culdrose' but RNAS Culdrose - being a Royal Naval Air Station...! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe RAF did have St Mawgan down in Cornwall, but Culdrose on the Lizard is RN territory..
(Sri to be pedantic, but you know...)
Please accept my profuse apologies - sloppy sloppy sloppy
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