As crews were tidying up after another successful Open Day on Saturday 11th August, radio traffic was overheard from a yacht off East Ferry which had just recovered a MOB and required medical assistance. Not waiting for the pagers, a crew quickly changed and the lifeboat was underway in less than three minutes. A 14 year old boy had been hit by the boom and knocked overboard, but was recovered into the yacht's tender and was on the marina when the lifeboat arrived. The casualty was barely concious on arrival and in early stage hypothermia. The crew placed a collar and oxygen on the casualty and monitored him while awaiting the ambulance crew arrived about 10 minutes later.
The lifeboat crew assisted with the transfer of the casualty onto a vacuum matress and spinal board and then up to the ambulance. The boy was released from hospital the next day and thankfully has made a full recovery. This was the lifeboat's 30th callout this year, and demonstrated how important wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid at all times on board boats can be - it certainly saved a life on Saturday.
