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Alderney lifeboat returns stranded doctors to island

Lifeboats News Release

RNLI volunteers help ensure island has essential medical cover

RNLI/Mark Gaudion

The Alderney’s RNLI all-weather lifeboat, Roy Barker I, was launched on the 28th February 2018 at 09.45 to collect two Alderney doctors who had been stranded in Guernsey for two days after being trapped there by heavy snow.

Normal transportation to and from the island came to a standstill after heavy snow started falling at the beginning of the week disrupting airports across the islands - meaning the RNLI lifeboat was the only way of getting them back to their Alderney surgery.

Despite the freezing conditions and heavy snow both doctors arrived back on the island at 12.45 and immediately returned to work on a snow covered Alderney, providing essential medical cover for the local community.

Alderney Lifeboat Press Officer Joanne Parmentier said: 'We had a call from the surgery explaining the situation and were glad to be able to assist. Alderney can be quite remote and the community here relies heavily on its doctors to provide vital medical cover so we were very pleased to help."

ENDS

For further details please contact the RNLI press office on: [email protected]


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