
Poole RNLI in multi agency service in medical evacuation
Poole inshore lifeboat was tasked by UK Coastguard at 10.15am (Monday February 20) to a report of a person stuck in the mud on the north side of Pergins Island. Pergins Island is a small uninhabited island at the back of Holes Bay.
The lifeboat was swiftly away and headed into Holes Bay and under the eastern railway bridge into Creekmoor Lake near to Upton Country Park.
The lifeboat made its way as far as possible as it was extremely shallow and the tide about to start falling. With time of the essence to find the casualty, two crew were immediately transferred ashore onto the Island and headed around on foot. Poole Coastguard Rescue Team were at Upton House and helped to direct the lifeboat crew towards the casualty from the shore.
The lifeboat crew found the casualty laid in a gully, and in immediate need of medical attention. With the lifeboat crew administering first aid they also requested the coastguard helicopter to attend to assist.
A technical rescue team from Dorset Fire and Rescue had also been tasked. The inshore lifeboat was standing by having manoeuvred to a position as close as the tides would allow. The area of the harbour is very treacherous in parts, thick gloopy mud, and dangerous terrain underfoot, conditions were calm on the water, cloudy with a westerly breeze.
Dorset Fire and Rescue arrived on scene and they deployed their raft and rescue equipment. They managed to paddle and swim across to the island to assist the lifeboat crew. The lifeboat crew helped in transferring the casualty onto the raft and with the firefighters, transferred the casualty to the land side of Upton Country Park where the helicopter had arrived on scene and landed in an adjacent field.
The lifeboat returned to station, but the crew stayed on scene continuing to assist. The casualty was transferred to the care of the paramedics on scene and he was taken by ambulance to hospital.
The two crew were given a lift back to the lifeboat station by the fire service and then the clean-up of the kit began. The lifeboat was ready for service by 12pm.
A good job done by all multiple services in attendance.
Volunteer Helm Ed Davies said.
‘We were on scene pretty quickly from launching, the lifeboat volunteers were with the casualty in about 15 minutes, crucial when time was of the essence. It is a very difficult area of the harbour to get to and we were really fortunate that with the falling tide, we had just enough water to land some crew onto the island so that they could get to the casualty straight away.’
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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