A Christmas Eve Call Out for the Crew of The Lizard RNLI Lifeboat
A Christmas Eve Call Out for the Crew of The Lizard RNLI Lifeboat
Lifeboats News Release
Following a request received by our Duty Launch Authority from Falmouth Coastguard our crew launched on service at 10.02pm on Tuesday 24th December – Christmas Eve.
Under the command of Second Coxswain Darren Thirlaway, the relief Tamar class lifeboat currently on service here at The Lizard, RNLB ‘Edward and Barbara Prigmore’ proceeded to a position of 3.5 nautical miles south east of Lizard Point. Our instruction was to go to the assistance of a 100m commercial coaster with an injured crew member onboard who (having fallen) had sustained serious injuries and needed a medical evacuation to hospital.
Initial radio communication between Falmouth Coastguard and the casualty vessel were poor and at the point of launching the condition of the casualty was unknown. Severe fog meant that Rescue 924 (Coastguard helicopter) was grounded and this also hampered the speed at which the lifeboat arrived on scene. Upon the lifeboat’s arrival at 10.23pm a thorough assessment was carried out of the situation and the decision was quickly taken to transfer 4 lifeboat (casualty care trained) crew members on to the vessel. The casualty was found to have eye, head, hand & shoulder injuries after having fallen down approximately 10 stairs.
By now the fog was beginning to lift slightly and Rescue 924 were the given the all clear to take off and proceed to the vessels position. Our crew members remained onboard the vessel until medical assistance was handed over to the Coastguard paramedic who had been winched down from the helicopter following its arrival on scene at 11.10pm. Following medical attention given by the paramedic, the casualty was safely winched from the deck of the vessel and in to the helicopter and taken to hospital at 11.38pm. Our crew returned to the lifeboat at 11.52pm and left the scene arriving back at the station at 12.20am. The lifeboat was rehoused and made ready for service again when required by 12.50am.
Thank you to all 22 lifeboat personnel who arrived at the station having responded to their pagers. Another excellent response and efficiently carried out service from all here at The Lizard RNLI Lifeboat Station.
RNLI/The Lizard RNLI
Returning to station early on Christmas morning...
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.
