Sheerness RNLI lifeboat gets an emergency call whilst out on exercise

The volunteer crew of the Sheerness all weather lifeboat (ALB), The George and Ivy Swanson, were out on exercise on Sunday 4 September in the area of Great Nore in the Thames estuary when they received a call at 12.06pm to a rigid inflatable craft (RHIB), Twist, that was in the vicinity of the Spile Buoy off Warden Point at the eastern end of the Isle of Sheppey.

The reports were that the Twist, a fare paying passenger pleasure craft from Chatham, had an injured person on board.

The casualty, a 51 year old woman, had injured her back and was in severe pain after the RHIB had landed heavily from a wave crest during a trip out to the Redsands Towers

The lifeboat made best speed to the reported area and came alongside the Twist at 12.29pm. Two volunteer crew members went onboard to assess the casualty and administered Entonox pain relief.

The casualty was then transferred, with assistance, to the lifeboat where a call was then put through to the Sheppey Coastguards to arrange an ambulance to meet the lifeboat at the Lower Camber in the Sheerness Dockyard.

The lifeboat left the scene with the casualty on board at 12.46pm and arrived at the dockyard at 1.13pm. The patient was transferred to the ambulance at 1.40 pm.

The lifeboat returned to station at 2pm

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