Whitby RNLI's inshore lifeboat responds to injured surfer at Robin Hood's Bay.
The crew were paged yesterday afternoon (3 December) alongside the local coastguard and rescue helicopter.
The casualty was suffering from chest pains after becoming injured while surfing. The inshore lifeboat did a beach landing and offered first aid alongside the local coastguard team who were also in attendance.
Due to the sea conditions it was decided that it would not be safe to transfer the casualty to the lifeboat so the patient was taken by air ambulance to James Cook hospital.
The inshore lifeboat remained on the scene until all the other surfers and coastguard were safely off the rocks before returning to station.
Helm of the inshore lifeboat at the time, volunteer Mark Frankland said; 'Even the most experienced surfers can get into difficulty in the water. These coastal locations can be hard to reach for an ambulance so we are lucky to have the air ambulance to reach casualties quickly alongside the local rescue teams.
We recommend that surfers and other people enjoying the coast always carry a means of calling for help should an incident occur, you can alert the RNLI to an incident by calling 999 and asking for the coastguard.'
Key facts about the RNLI
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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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