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Hartlepool RNLI assist injured tug boat crewmember.

Lifeboats News Release

Hartlepool RNLI volunteers were paged at 7.00pm on Thursday 16th March by Humber Coastguard to attend a tug boat at the South Bank Wharf on the River Tees where a male crewmember had sustained a serious wrist injury.

RNLI/Matt Blanchard

Coastguard and an ambulance at the Harbour Masters berth.
The all weather lifeboat 'Betty Huntbatch' launched at 7.13pm followed by the inshore lifeboat 'Solihull' that had launched earlier for a training exercise.

Hartlepool RNLI Deputy Launch Authority Steve Pounder said "Ironically some of the volunteer crew took part in a training exercise with the local Coastguard team on the River Tees earlier today for almost the same scenario.
Once again good teamwork from the crew resulted in a successful outcome this evening and we hope the casualty makes a quick recovery."

Second coxswain Garry Waugh said "The casualty could not be moved directly from the tug to the quayside so two crew members were placed on the tug to carry out a casualty care assessment which included the use of Entonox for pain relief.
The casualty was then placed on a stretcher and transferred to the all weather lifeboat. We then took him on the all weather lifeboat to the Harbour Masters berth where the local Coastguard team and paramedics dealt him before he was taken to hospital."

Both boats returned to the Ferry Road boathouse at 9.05pm and were refuelled and made ready for service by 9.30pm.

Sea state was slight with a 20 knot south south westerly wind.

RNLI Media contacts
For more information please contact Tom Collins, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on: 07896793557 or email: [email protected]


RNLI/Matt Blanchard

Hartlepool RNLI all weather lifeboat pictured at the Harbour Masters berth on the River Tees.

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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