Portrush RNLI launched to reports off a woman injured in Coasteering accident at

Portrush RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was requested to launch by the Coastguard today (Saturday 1^st August) at 1.15 pm to reports of a 50 year old woman who had been injured in a coasteering incident at Dunseverick.

The woman had been part of an organised coasteering group and had fallen awkwardly into into the water and the Causeway Coasteering Team decided as a precaution to call the Coastguard to ensure that the casualty was assessed and appropriate action taken.

The ILB arrived on scene at 2pm approximately, the sea conditions were good, calm with partial cloud. The ILB volunteer crew applied casualty care to the woman before going to round to Dunseverick to collect a paramedic and a Coastguard team to bring them to the scene to assist, whilst leaving one of the crew members with the casualty.

It was decided because the woman had sustained a suspected back injury to call for a helicopter and Coastguard helicopter R199 from Prestwick arrived on scene at 3pm along with the Air Ambulance (Helimed 23).

The Air Ambulance transferred the woman to the Royal Victoria Hospital to be assessed.

Matt Wright from Causeway Coasteering said:-

‘We are always in awe of the professionalism of the Volunteer Lifeboat Crews and the Coastguard as well as the Medical services. We wanted to be sure that the casualty received immediate attention as she had fallen awkwardly into the water’.

Keith Gilmore Lifeboat Operations Manager Portrush said:-

‘Causeway Coasteering did exactly the right thing in calling the RNLI and the Coastguard to make sure that the casualty could receive appropriate treatment’.

The ILB crew returned to station at 4.50pm.

ENDS

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