RNLI Kessock launch to aid of child with head injury
Yesterday (Sunday 5 July) the charity lifeboat was tasked at 2.30pm by HM Coastguard to medevac a young casualty situated in a remote and beautiful location on Eathie beach, approximately 4 miles north of Fortrose on the Black Isle.
The volunteer crew assembled, following RNLI Covid-19 protocols, and the boat was launched at 2.45pm with a specialist crew of four chosen by the DLA Alan MacDiarmid including three qualified Sea-going Casualty Carers.
RNLI Kessock’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Robert and Isobel Mowat, made excellent speed directly up the Moray Firth and upon arrival at the location the Helm’s local area knowledge as a fisherman proved vital and enabled a safe passage through a precarious rocky approach.
Doug Grant, Helm and RNLI crew member since 1985 says: ‘On arrival at the scene it was relayed that the young casualty’s father had managed to cover some considerable distance from the beach to meet the waiting Ambulance crew on the road. We manoeuvred the lifeboat to allow a crew member to check the beach was clear and confirm that the casualty was in the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service. We were relieved to hear that the youngster was assessed and no further treatment required.’
A volunteer crew from Invergordon’s Lifeboat had also made their way to the scene to offer assistance if required. Both boats were stood down and returned to base. Kessock’s lifeboat was recovered, washed down, refuelled and the boat made ready for service by 4.00pm. The crew remained on station for some time attending to stringent hygiene procedures with regards to Covid 19 policy on Personal Protective Equipment .
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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