Bridlington RNLI perform medical evacuation for person taken ill at sea

Information was received from the HM Coastguards at 9.12pm by the Bridlington RNLI that a person had been taken ill whilst on a vessel off Bridlington and was requiring a medical evacuation from the boat which was on passage from Hartlepool to Ipswich

The Bridlington RNLI relief lifeboat (ALB) ‘Ruth and David Arthur’, with a crew of six, was launched at 9.40pm and set off at good speed to rendezvous with the vessel in slight seas, force three easterly winds, but with poor visibility, some 8 miles east of Bridlington. Upon reaching the vessel 25 minutes later, the casualty was taken onto the all-weather lifeboat, along with another person who was to accompany the casualty back to Bridlington.

Upon reaching the beach at 10.35pm at Bridlington the casualty was able to walk from the ALB and was handed over, by the RNLI volunteers, to the waiting Paramedics. The boat was then recovered, washed down and re-fuelled and was back on service by 12.03am.

Steve Emmerson, Bridlington RNLI Volunteer Coxswain, said "Although the journey was a relatively short one, we had to ensure that upon reaching the 22-meter boat, which sat low in the water, the volunteer crew had to take care whilst moving the casualty from the training vessel to the Lifeboat.

"Thankfully there were no issues and the transfer back to Bridlington beach and the awaiting paramedics was straight forward’.

A spokesperson from the sailing trust who own and run the vessel stated, ‘We would like to thank the Bridlington RNLI, HM Coastguard, and the shoreside doctor for their help in getting the casualty to hospital, and can confirm that the person in question has now been released from hospital’. The skipper of the vessel, Andrew, also added ‘excellent work by volunteer RNLI crew throughout’.