Harbour officials beg Glenn Crawley to give up sailing

A sailor involved in his 15th sea rescue has been begged by harbour officials to hang up his wetsuit.

But Glenn Crawley refuses to give up sailing, blaming “some granny walking along the cliffs” for the numerous emergency calls made on his behalf.

The 56-year-old says he doesn’t need help from the RNLI. “I’m not the one asking to be rescued,” he said. “Other people make those calls. My boat has been in mortal danger many times but that’s replaceable. I’m not in danger.”

The most recent rescue took place on Monday when Crawley sailed his catamaran off Newquay, Cornwall. When the wind dropped he became stranded.

Onlookers raised the alarm but Crawly refused help from the rescue boats and tried to sail back, the Telegraph reports. He capsized the catamaran and was forced to push the boat back to the beach.

The event was caught on video, which you can watch below.

“We will always launch when requested – even if it is to people who subsequently decline our assistance,” said a RNLI spokeswoman. The RNLI confirmed Crawley declined two offers of assistance on Monday.

“Obviously he’s got this Captain Calamity nickname for a reason – and it’s richly deserved,” said Andy Bridgen, Cornwall Council’s Maritime Manager.


Correction: The RNLI contacted us to explain that the previously quoted cost of rescues topping £40,000 was inaccurate. We have been told that the RNLI does not give out average rescue costs.