Poole RNLI in medical evacuation after people ejected from speedboat
Poole Lifeboat was launched by UK Coastguard just after 4pm, Thursday (August 13) to a report that a 24ft speedboat with 4 persons on-board that had flipped 3 of the occupants into the water at Studland.
The person who had remained on the vessel had been quite badly injured, with a suspected spinal injury.
A helicopter was also in attendance, when the lifeboat arrived on scene.
The lifeboat volunteers found the speedboat alongside a Catamaran in Studland Bay and the people who had been flipped out of the vessel, were now safely out of the water on the Catamaran.
Conditions were overcast, sea conditions calm and there was a slight northerly breeze.
Two lifeboat crew were transferred across onto the casualty vessel and proceeded to administer casualty care.
Meanwhile, the lifeboat had manoeuvred into position to receive the winchman from the helicopter above, the winchman was winched down onto the lifeboat and then transferred to the Catamaran, to assess the casualty, who had not been flipped out, as there was a suspected spinal injury and she was in a lot of discomfort and pain.
The decision was made, to place the person with the suspected spinal injury, carefully onto a stretcher and transport her and the other female to North Haven Steps via the lifeboat, where an ambulance had been requested to attend. Swanage, Search and rescue Coastguard volunteers were also on hand to assist with the medi vac, they had come across via the Ferry.
The two other casualties were happy to take the speedboat back to Cobbs Quay to refuel and then return to Rockley, whilst the lifeboat headed out into Poole Bay, so that they could rendezvous with the helicopter and their winch man, could be extracted and be repatriated back to his helicopter.
The lifeboat headed back to the station, just after 6pm, however there was a need for a deep cleanse, after a thorough washdown, refuel and decontamination, the boat was not made ready for service until 8pm.
We wish the lady with the suspected spinal injury a swift recovery.
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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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