Calshot RNLI rescue woman after fall from yacht

A female crew hand, believed to be in her mid-late 40's had tripped and fallen from a yacht whilst trying to disembark the moored vessel. It's believed she may have struck the pontoon and then landed in the water incurring injuries to her left arm, hip and right leg.

Being held in the water alongside the pontoon by onlookers, both Calshot RNLI Lifeboats with eight volunteer crew arrived on scene shortly after the call for help. With members of the RNLI crew being trained in casualty care they were able to enter the water and assess the casualty.

Using the RNLI lifeboat stretcher the crew secured the woman, who was in pain and becoming cold, and remove her safely from the water as quickly as possible. With a marine ambulance crew now on scene she was transferred to Calshot's Atlantic 85 Lifeboat Max Walls, given entonox for the pain, and taken to Hamble Marina where the South Central Ambulance Service and Hill Head Mobile Coastguard Rescue Team were on hand.

Despite her injuries she remained in good spirits and the RNLI volunteer crew were able to stand down and return to Calshot Lifeboat Station.

Calshot helm Tom Pedersen said: 'Due to the quick thinking of onlookers to call the emergency services we were able to attend the scene quickly. If you are ever in a situation where a person is in the water dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. We'd also like to remind people that even when a boat is moored or anchored you should wear a life jacket at all times.'

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Media Contacts

• Laura Bean, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Office 07772 529985 creativelittleworld@gmail.com

• Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer, London and South East 07785 296252 paul_dunt@rnli.org.uk

• For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact RNLI duty press officer on (01202) 336789
  

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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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.

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