Multi-agency teamwork saves unintentional night swimmer at Lymington

The volunteer crew of the Lymington inshore Atlantic 85 RNLI lifeboat David Bradley were called at 9.15pm on Thursday 16 November to reports of a person in the water within one of the town's marinas.

While the lifeboat was launching, under the leadership of Senior Helm Kevin Coster, three crew members including the station paramedic, made their way to the Lymington Yacht Haven by car arriving slightly ahead of the lifeboat.

Here they assisted the person who raised the alarm and the marina night watchman, who had been able to keep the casualty afloat with the aid of a life-ring, and recovered the 72 year old male casualty to the safety of the pontoon.

Lymington lifeboat volunteer arrived to provide immediate first aid and oxygen until the arrival of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service First Responder and the South Central Ambulance Service.

'This guy is extremely lucky,' said Senior Helm, Kevin Coster. 'The water temperature at this time of year is getting cold and had someone in the sparsely populated area not heard his cry for help, this might have been a very different outcome'.

The casualty, who it appears tripped whilst accessing his boat, was released from Southampton General Hospital on Friday (17 November) having been kept in overnight for observation and returned to Lymington and his boat shortly thereafter.

RNLI Media Contacts:

• Peter Mills, Lymington RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer 07767 213583 [email protected]
• Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 email [email protected]

· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789 email: [email protected]

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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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