RNLI lifeguards help a ninety-four-year-old man at Seaburn beach

A member of the public approached the charity’s lifeguards just after 10.40am to let them know that a pensioner was drifting in and out of consciousness on a bench on the promenade.

RNLI lifeguards Andrew Brown, Aaron Curle and Patryk Leszczewski rushed to the scene with their medical trauma bag. They found that the casualty had regained consciousness but was now suffering from severe pains in his side.

After the elderly man was sick the lifeguards monitored his airway to ensure that it was clear and administered oxygen. They then wrapped him in a blanket and kept asking questions to keep him alert.

Fellow RNLI lifeguard Piotr Glowacki guided an ambulance to the scene while his colleague Joe Wilson helped to maintain lifeguard cover on the beach.

Paramedics placed the man into the ambulance and he was taken to hospital for further treatment.

Tony Marsh and Melissa Robb coordinated radio communications during the incident from the RNLI Local Operations Centre (LOC).

Senior RNLI Lifeguard, Alex Richardson, said: ‘The lifeguards demonstrated exemplary team work yesterday and performed vital emergency treatment on the elderly man.

‘Our charity’s lifeguards receive comprehensive first aid training as part of the role and it is this essential training that can really make a difference in situations like this.

‘The team wishes the gentleman a quick recovery and we’re pleased that we were able to help him during such a traumatic time.’

RNLI Picture caption
The photograph shows RNLI lifeguards (from left to right) Piotr Glowacki, Alex Richardson, Aaron Curle, Andy Brown, Joe Wilson and Patryk Leszczewski. Credit: RNLI.

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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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