Busy week for Tobermory RNLI with three ‘shouts’ in five days

At 2.30pm on Friday 5 June HM Coastguard requested that the lifeboat crew assist with a person on board a charter dive board suspected of having the ‘bends’. The lifeboat stood by and prepared for a transfer of the casualty by helicopter if deemed necessary. The casualty was taken to hospital by ambulance, and the crew were stood down.

Shortly after a busy night training afloat, the crew were paged again at 9.50pm on Tuesday 9 June. A passenger aboard a cruise ship anchored in Tobermory Bay had suffered a head injury. The crew administered casualty care and transferred the passenger to the lifeboat where they were brought ashore and handed over to the Scottish Ambulance Service.

On Wednesday 10 June, Tobermory RNLI crew joined forces with colleagues in the Scottish Fire Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Scotland and Tobermory Coastguard Rescue Team to participate in ‘Services Day’ at Tobermory pontoons. The day was part of a transition week for north Mull’s Primary 7 pupils who are joining Tobermory High School in August. The pupils learned about how the emergency services operate and had a chance to look around the assets that they use. Shortly after the pupils had left, HM Coastguard requested the launch of the lifeboat at 1.20pm.

A 12m rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with 12 persons onboard (including five children) had suffered engine failure 2 miles south of Iona. When the lifeboat was nearly an hour into her passage to the casualty vessel, the crew were stood down by HM Coastguard as the RIB’s engine had been restarted and the vessel was being accompanied into Fionnphort by a tall ship.

These ‘shouts’ were the first in Tobermory as coxswain for Jenny Hampson, who passed out as Coxswain (Afloat Mechanic) earlier this year. Jenny’s role takes her to lifeboat stations around the country and she was pleased to return to her home turf in Tobermory where she began her RNLI journey as volunteer crew in 2019.

Jenny said: It’s been a privilege to be Coxswain on the Elizabeth Fairlie Ramsey in Tobermory and to work alongside the fabulous volunteer crew who I began my training with, alongside some new faces. It’s been a busy few days and we wish the casualties well in their recovery.’