Whitstable RNLI crews in test of seamanship and first aid

All crewmembers at lifeboat stations receive first aid training and hold regular first aid exercises however it is thought that Whitstable is the only station which stages an exercise as a competition and it has been running since 1979.

The two crews who took part in this years scenario where Helm Andy Williams with crewmembers Will Smith, Ben Sprattling Robin Bartlett followed by Helm Vicky Kypta, Angela Burgess, Steve Moseley and Christina Bradleyand they found themselves having to deal with a scenario devised by Casualty Care Co-Coordinator Dr Terry Stefani.

Dr Stefani explained “The purpose of the competition is three fold, firstly to be able to correctly prioritise and manage the casualties, secondly, to extract from difficult positions and thirdly to handle a multiple casualty scenario”

The scenario is devised to test a wide range of skills and training in a rapidly changing situation and reinforces that our crews can never assume what they’re dealing with, and must conduct dynamic risk assessments throughout.

This year the simulated incident took place onboard a cockle dredger. The skipper has taken on board a new crewmember to test him out and have had a long stretch at sea. However he has started to behave erratically grabbing a knife and attacked the crew before collapsing, the skipper managed to drop the anchor, kick the knife over board and radio for help before he too collapsed”.

On arrival alongside the cockle dredger the lifeboat crews were faced with dealing with 3 casualties, all with realistic injuries, the skipper in the wheel house with a severe abdominal knife injury and is responding only to pain, a second casualty who is conscious and coherent but has sustained a fractured femur and knife injury to the thigh and the third who was knocked out following a fall after suffering from what looked like a fit and was pale, sweaty and unconscious having sustained a head injury.

Dr Stefani continued “ The Competition is fiercely contested by the lifeboat crews and this year was no exception with excellent care of several casualties based on a very challenging scenario and involving very severe life threatening injuries”.

“The crews faced these difficulties with calmness, professionalism and the highest standard of care and displayed an example of the high statndards of training they receive and were a credit to the station”.

“This year the trophy went to Helm Vicky Kypta and her crew and of particular merit was the presentation of the Kit Davies Award (Son of Dr Dan Davies) for the most impressive crew team member on the day and this went to Christina Bradley a new station entrant who had only been in the boat twice before”.

Crewmember Ben Spratling Said “It was a really good learning exercise which has reinforced my skills from the first aid course I did several weeks earlier and it certainly made for an interesting morning”

The casualties were played by Natasha White and Alex Vincent from Estuary View Medical Centre along with Joe Harvey and competition assessors were Operations Manager Mike Judge, Lee Page from Estuary View and Dr Stefani.

Notes to editors

· Whitstable RNLI Lifeboat Station was established in 1963 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 237 lifeboat stations around the shores of the UK and Ireland. The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. They cover the area between the Kingsferry Bridge on the Swale, in the west, around the south-eastern side of Sheppey and along the coast through Whitstable and Herne Bay to Reculver in the east and outwards into the Thames Estuary.

· The station is equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat named Lewisco, purchased through a bequest of a Miss Lewis of London who passed away in 2006.

·She is what is known as a rigid inflatable inshore lifeboat, the boat’s rigid hull being topped by an inflatable sponson. She carries a crew of four people.

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