Rhyl RNLI volunteers carry out medical evacuation from charter fishing vessel
The crew were called out at 12.15pm on Monday 16 May, when the skipper of the local charter fishing vessel "Merlin" reported that one of the party had fallen hard and had injuries.
The crew under the command of Coxswain Martin Jones launched to the vessel, which was about seven and a half miles North-north-west of the station, beyond the North-East corner of the Rhyl Flats windfarm.
The casualty had sustained injuries to his arm and leg and was complaining of severe pain. The skipper of the vessel reported to Holyhead Coastguard, and was advised to start heading towards Rhyl, while the lifeboat launched to rendezvous with the boat. Once alongside some 20 minutes later, two crew were transferred to the casualty with pain-relieving kit and first-aid.
The man was assessed and questioned, and in a joint discussion, he agreed to be transferred to the lifeboat in a stretcher,taken to Rhyl, and then by ambulance to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. The man had some difficulty moving due to his position on the fishing vessel, but eventually with the aid of the lifeboat crew and his colleagues, was placed in the stretcher, secured, and transferred to the lifeboat.
A slow passage back to Rhyl was then undertaken, and once the lifeboat was on shore, waiting paramedics boarded the boat to further supervise the casualty care of the casualty.
Back at the lifeboat station,the man was taken by stretcher to the ambulance, and transferred to hospital.
Coxswain Martin Jones says "I would like to commend the skipper of the charter boat for calling for assistance early on, and for his professionalism in holding his boat steady for the lifeboat to come alongside. I would also like to thank the man's companions on the trip for assisting the crew in their casualty care and manouevering the man into the stretcher".
The attached photos show various elements of the evacuation.
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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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