The afternoon started with the deployment of the Coastguard drone team to the south-west of Guernsey to assist in the search for a missing person. The individual was subsequently located safely by others.
Shortly before noon, the Coastguard received a mayday call from a vessel in the eastbound traffic lane approximately 25 miles west of Alderney.
The casualty vessel reported that a crew member had fallen and sustained significant injuries, with concerns also raised that the individual may have been suffering from a more serious underlying medical condition.
Communication with the casualty vessel was initially hampered due to the distance involved, the crew’s efforts to care for the casualty, and technical difficulties on board.
Guernsey Coastguard subsequently broadcast a mayday relay requesting assistance from nearby vessels and requested the launch of the Alderney all-weather lifeboat. Given the potentially serious nature of the casualty’s condition, the French Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was also contacted to request the deployment of a rescue helicopter.
As a result of the mayday relay, a nearby vessel diverted to assist and recovered the casualty before proceeding at best speed towards Guernsey.
Shortly after 1pm, the French rescue helicopter arrived on scene and lowered paramedics onto the assisting vessel to begin advanced medical treatment of the casualty. About half an hour later the casualty was transferred to the Alderney lifeboat to facilitate a safer winch transfer back to the helicopter.
The casualty was subsequently flown to Guernsey Airport, where St John Ambulance personnel, who had been alerted by the Coastguard, met the aircraft and took the casualty to hospital.
Following the transfer, the Alderney lifeboat remained with the casualty vessel to assess the welfare of the remaining crew members. It was agreed that the vessel was able to continue safely under its own power back to Guernsey, where the crew were met by Coastguard officers and also taken to hospital.
On its way back to Alderney, the lifeboat was tasked to assist a broken-down vessel about six miles north of the island. It towed it back to Braye Harbour, arriving at about 6.30pm.
While these incidents were going on, the Coastguard also received a further report from a member of the public concerning a male believed to be stranded on the Lihou Causeway during a flooding tide, reportedly in waist-deep water.
Those who reported the incident remained on the scene giving updates while the St Peter Port inshore lifeboat and the Coastguard drone team responded. It was later confirmed that the person had safely returned to Lihou and was going to remain on the island.
‘This was a busy afternoon which involved numerous emergency response agencies from Guernsey, Alderney and France, and is a credit to the strong working relationships between the neighbouring rescue services,’ said duty search and rescue mission coordinator Simon Granger.
‘Following receipt of the distress call, Coastguard officers in Guernsey quickly identified the seriousness of the situation and coordinated the deployment of the most appropriate rescue assets to the scene. The response was further assisted by a nearby vessel answering the mayday relay and recovering the casualty, which significantly reduced the time taken to get the patient closer to hospital care.
‘I would like to thank everyone involved, from the Coastguard operators managing this and several other unfolding incidents, to the crew of the assisting vessel, the Alderney lifeboat crew, the French rescue helicopter team, and the ambulance and airport staff who assisted with the casualty transfer.
‘This coordinated multi-agency response ensured the casualty reached hospital care in the quickest possible timeframe.’
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