Littlehampton RNLI launch to assist injured person thrown from towed inflatable
Clear skies, light winds and calm waters might be perfect conditions for a powerboat trip to sea, but if things go wrong there’s a charity crewed by volunteers that will come to the rescue.
Thursday 6 August was a glorious evening off the coast of Littlehampton with sunshine being enjoyed by visitors both onshore and at sea. At 8.31pm though pagers alerted the crew of Ray of Hope, the station’s D-Class inshore lifeboat. HM Coastguard had received a request for assistance from a 7 metre speedboat that was unable to enter the harbour as low tide had just passed and there was insufficient water depth. There were four persons on board, but one had a suspected broken finger after falling from a towed inflatable and was now cold and semi-conscious.
On arriving at the scene the RNLI crew transferred the injured person to the lifeboat, together with a companion, and returned to the boathouse at Fisherman’s Quay where the casualty was passed in to the care of the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) ambulance crew.
The speedboat, now with two persons on board, entered Littlehampton harbour under it’s own power once there was sufficient water depth.
Andy Harris, Helm of Ray of Hope said:
“Water temperatures are approximately 18 Celsius in the sea around Littlehampton at the moment, but that is still significantly below human body temperature. Coupled with the shock of an unexpected accident and injury there is a risk of hypothermia even on a hot sunny day. Recovering the casualty from the speedboat to shore was important in order that they could receive ongoing medical care from SECAmb.”
ENDS
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Anthony Fogg, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Littlehampton RNLI 07823 509032 [email protected]
Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer, London and South East 07785 296252 [email protected]
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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 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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