Anstruther RNLI respond to a male with a suspected stroke on the May Island

Both boats launched and made their way to the island, five nautical miles east of Anstruther. On arrival, the volunteers from Anstruther assisted in the casualty care while the Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter based at Prestwick made its way to the scene.

The helicopter arrived soon after and the casualty was transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for further care.

Commenting on the rescue, station Coxswain Michael Bruce said: 'With reports of the casualty having potentially had a stroke, it was key that we made our way to the scene as quickly and as safely as possible. With the helicopter based some 90 miles away in Prestwick, it was key to have our all-weather lifeboat on the island as a secondary evacuation option. Gladly, the helicopter was available and was able to assist the gentlemen with transfer to hospital for further care.'

The lifeboats returned to station and was made ready for service around 7.00pm.

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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