Dunbar RNLI Crews Assist Casualty Airlifted After Harbour Fall
Dunbar’s volunteer lifeboat crews assisted a man who slipped and broke his ankle at secluded Cove Harbour yesterday (Wednesday)
UK Coastguard tasked both the inshore (ILB) and all-weather (ALB) lifeboats at 12.40pm to the harbour, which is not accessible by road. The 50-year-old man was left stricken by the water’s edge, at the foot of the cliffs, after his fall.
Coastguard teams from Eyemouth, Berwick and Dunbar were also tasked to assess the best way to transport the casualty to medics who weren’t able to access the harbour. The coastguard also requested the rescue helicopter to help.
Both lifeboats faced a force 4 wind and waves of over 2ms and were on scene 40 minutes later. By then the man was being tended to by the coastguards and the RNLI volunteers assisted by providing pain relief and oxygen.
The man, from Methil in Fife, who turned 50 today (Thursday), had been holidaying in the area and was visiting the picturesque harbour when the accident happened.
Once it was established that the safest way to transport the man to paramedics was by air, a harness was fitted and the man was airlifted to the top of the cliffs.
Both boats were stood down at 2.15pm.
Dunbar coxswain Gary Fairbairn said: “Given the conditions and the fact the UK coastguard was able to attend it made sense to airlift the casualty. We were happy to assist and be on standby if needed.”
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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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