Swanage lifeboats launched to multi-agency rescue to recover injured climber
On Friday 28 January, both Swanage Lifeboats were tasked afternoon to join a multi-agency response to assist an injured climber near Anvil Point.
Swanage lifeboats were requested along with the volunteer UK Coastguard cliff rescue teams from Swanage, St Albans Head and Kimmeridge together with the Dorset and Somerset air ambulance and South Western Ambulance Service.
The inshore lifeboat was first on scene and located the casualty most of the way up a vertical cliff near to Anvil Point Lighthouse. The crew were able to call to the casualty and her climbing partner to confirm the Coastguard were on their way. The all-weather lifeboat was next to arrive closely followed by UK Coastguard.
The casualty had sustained a suspected broken ankle whilst climbing and need help to be recovered from the cliff face. The inshore lifeboat approached the base of the cliff and confirmed that it would be possible to extract the casualty from there if the cliff rescue team were able to lower them down. The air ambulance landed on the top of the cliff and their medic confirmed that with the severity of the casualty's broken ankle a swift extraction was required.
Following assessment of the location of the casualty by the UK coastguard teams at the top of the cliff, it was agreed to perform a cliff rescue to carefully lower the casualty to the base of the cliff into a waiting stretcher so that the casualty could be transferred by lifeboat to waiting paramedics.
The casualty was assessed at the base of the cliff and given some pain relief whilst being secured into the stretcher and was then transferred to the inshore lifeboat.
A short trip was then made to the all-weather lifeboat where the casualty was put aboard and taken into the wheelhouse to warm up and receive further casualty care. The all-weather lifeboat made best speed back to Swanage to meet an ambulance and the helicopter medics. Once the casualty was safely ashore with medics both lifeboats were released to return to station.We wish the casualty a speedy recovery.
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For more information please telephone Becky Mack, Swanage RNLI Volunteer Press Officer on 07812 558487 or at [email protected]
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