The master of the vehicle carrierCity of Parisradioed Humber Coastguard at 19:30 after a 35 year-old Ukrainian crewman impaled his finger on a fish hook. Attempts to remove the deeply-embedded hook were unsuccessful and Radio Medical Advice indicated that the crewman should be evacuated and treated at a hospital.
Humber Coastguard paged the all weather lifeboat at 19:37. Launching just seven minutes later the lifeboat steamed as fast as possible in poor visibility to the ship, anchored 2.7 nautical miles north of the Tyne piers.
The lifeboat arrived on scene ten minutes after launching and two lifeboat crew members boarded the 10,000tonne, 100m vessel via its pilot ladder and assessed the casualty. He was ‘walking wounded’ and needed no assistance leaving his ship and boarding the lifeboat which sped him back to the lifeboat station on North Shields fish quay where he was made comfortable.
A paramedic first response car arrived soon after and the paramedic made an assessment before taking the seaman to the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital at Cramlington.
Adrian Don, spokesman for Tynemouth RNLI, said: 'The seaman had been fishing while his ship was at anchor which isn't unusual, but unfortunately he hooked his own finger.
'He wasn't badly injured and in good spirits but the hook was firmly embedded in his finger causing him some pain, and it wasn't possible to remove it without minor surgery.
'We hope he makes a swift recovery and rejoins his ship which is due to dock in the Tyne on Monday afternoon'
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For more information: Please contact Adrian Don, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07834 731833
Tynemouth RNLI lifeboat station was established in 1862 although there have been lifeboats on the river Tyne since the world's first purpose built lifeboat was launched here in 1790. The station has 30 volunteer crew members who come from all walks of life. We operate two lifeboats: The Severn class all weather lifeboat Spirit of Northumberland and our D class inshore lifeboat Mark Noble. You can find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TynemouthRNLIor follow us on Twitter @TynemouthRNLI
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.
