
Plymouth RNLI volunteers evacuate injured crew member from 323m Ocean Liner
Plymouth RNLI's relief All-Weather Lifeboat ‘Volunteer Spirit’ and her volunteer crew were requested to launch by Falmouth Coastguard to assist with a medical evacuation from an ocean liner 1.5nm south of Plymouth Breakwater.
As the pagers sounded to assemble the crew early on Monday 23 September at 5.39am our volunteer crew made their way down to the station and awaited further information before proceeding to kit up ready for launch.
The All-Weather Severn Class lifeboat, launched from Millbay Marina at 6.15am and made best speed towards the ocean liner already diverting to Plymouth from the English Channel finally rendezvousing just before 6.25am.
Once on scene the casualty was assessed by our casualty care crew and in consultation with the ocean liners’ medical team the decision was made to evacuate the casualty to the lifeboat via the pilot ladder to be taken back to Plymouth Lifeboat Station into the care of South Western Ambulance Service for onward treatment in hospital.
Deputy Second Coxswain Neil Humphrey said: ‘It's not often we are tasked to a 323m ocean liner to assist with a casualty evacuation but today our volunteer crew conducted the extraction perfectly. We wish the casualty a speedy recovery.’
If you see someone else in trouble at the coast, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
You can also call for help using a VHF radio on channel 16. This communicates the distress message to all vessels and shore stations in range.
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For more information please telephone Darren Blight, Plymouth RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07984399860 or [email protected] or Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected]; or Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead, on 07920 818807 or [email protected] or the RNLI Duty Press Office on 01202 336789.
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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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