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First shout of 2024 to injured fisherman for Hunstanton RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

A Norfolk lifeboat crew brought an injured fisherman ashore on their first 'shout' of the year.

RNLI/Chris Bishop

Hunstanton RNLI lifeboat Spirit of West Norfolk, which was tasked to assist an injured fisherman on its first shout of the year
The alarm was raised just before 1pm on Thursday, 1 February, after the man suffered a severe cut to his hand on board a vessel in the middle of The Wash.

HM Coastguard tasked Hunstanton lifeboat to go to the man's assistance and its volunteer crew were paged to launch.

RNLI lifeboat Spirit of West Norfolk took 20 minutes to reach the boat, where they assessed the man's injuries before bringing him ashore at the lifeboat station, where a colleague was waiting to take him to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn for treatment.

Jeff Lenton, one of the Deputy Launching Authorities at Hunstanton RNLI, said: 'From an operational point of view it all went very well.'

After returning to station, the lifeboat was washed down and made ready for service.

Editor's notes

Picture attached of RNLI lifeboat Spirit of West Norfolk. Credit: RNLI/Chris Bishop.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of both the founding of a lifeboat service at Hunstanton and the founding of the RNLI, whose work would not be possible without donations from its supporters..

Since Hunstanton's current station opened in 1979, its inshore lifeboat Spirit of West Norfolk and her predecessors have helped save 140 lives and render assistance to more than 600 people who found themselves in difficulty or in danger.

In 2003, she was joined by the hovercraft Hunstanton Flyer, which has since then been launched 250 times, saved 13 lives and assisted a further 150 people.

The station is one of just four around the coastline who operate a hovercraft.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please call Chris Bishop, Hunstanton RNLI volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07584 147219 or Clare Hopps, Regional Media Officer on 07824 518641.



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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For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.