Whitby fisherman pulled from sea in dramatic rescue.

Both Whitby RNLI lifeboats were launched at around 18.45pm on Thursday 5 August 2021, after a report came in that a fisherman was in the water off the coast of Whitby.

Another passenger on the boat raised the alarm when the fisherman was pulled into the water by his fishing gear. The closest boat that was equipped to help was the Summer Queen who promptly responded to the Mayday call and pulled the fisherman free.

Meanwhile Whitby's inshore lifeboat (ILB) was racing to the scene. Crew member Matt Sharpe boarded the Summer Queen from the ILB in order to provide immediate casualty care as the fisherman had a suspected broken arm and had been in the water for some time.

The Coastguard Rescue 912 helicopter was launched and the casualty was airlifted to be taken to hospital for treatment.

RNLI crew member Matt Sharpe said that the casualty's physical and mental strength saved his life. 'The outcome to this could have been very different, I would like to praise the fisherman for his strength and determination keeping hold of his lobster pot end despite having substantial injuries. Thank you also to those aboard the Summer Queen whose quick actions undoubtedly resulted in a life saved.'

These situations remind us why we train week in week out so that it is second nature to quickly launch the boat and to react swiftly to all eventualities. Just last week we had practised a similar scenario as part of a routine training exercise.'

Whitby RNLI hope to keep working with the local fishing and boating community to provide training and education to minimise incidents at sea and ensure that should an incident occur the community are equipped with the best skills possible to prevent deaths at sea.

For more information contact Lifeboat Press Officer Ceri Oakes on 07813359428 or email [email protected].

Thank you to Carla Durward who kindly provided the images and video.

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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