Abigail Lifeboat Rescue - what happened next?

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andrewwoods

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In the December 2003 Lifeboat magazine (for RNLI members) there is a story about the rescue of Yacht Abigail from off Margate in June 2003.

Basically, there were two crew on the yacht, heading from Gillingham to Chichester (I think - doesn't really matter). One crew member was ill, and it was thought that he was having a heart attack. The Margate(I think) lifeboat came out and he was evacuated to hospital by helicopter.

My wife (still rather nervous around boats) was concerned after reading this story. What would have happened after the rescue? Would the lifeboat have left the remaining crewmember alone on the boat? Would he have been expected to sail the yacht to her destination alone?

I said that it was more likely that, either (a) the crewmember would have been taken onto the lifeboat and the yacht towed into port or (b) a lifeboatman left on the yacht as crew. But I was guessing.

Anybody with better knowledge of this stuff than me care to suggest what would have happened?

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It is normal for a lifeboat crew or even 2 to be put aboard the casualty to bring her home. If the remaining crew was unhappy about sailing no doubt 2 crew would come aboard.

I have never heard of an instance where the lifeboat has left a casualty short handed, unless the remaining crew on the casualty is happy to bring the boat back alone.

This is quite often the reason the lifeboat will launch in tandem with a helicopter for instance, if someone onboard my boat had a suspected heart problem I would call explcitly for a heli as the crew are often better trained medically. No offence to the lifeboat, but the boats can often be delayed in launching while they phone around for a paramedic or doctor. The RAF heli crews have a paramedic on call all the time.

Hope this helps

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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Looking at issue of 'heli or not', the way it works normally is that the CG watch officer who is handling the Mayday will form his own judgement as to the best resources to call on. So if a crew members appears to be having a heart attack, almost certainly the response will be a helicopter if that gives the fastest possible response, backed up by the lifeboat who will do what HE thinks best to get the vessel back to safety, whether that's towing or whatever.


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Really worth noting that once the CG/lifeboat arrives, they're very much in charge, andbelieve me they'd make sure that in the unhappy scenario you've outlined that your wife and the boat got back safely by putting crew on board.

<hr width=100% size=1>Sarah&Pip
 
Having served as 2nd Coxswain for a good few years on a Scotish offshore life-boat I can assure you in my experiance the yacht would never be left short handed. Every situation would be differant but in this case I guess if the casualty could not be evacuated to hospital by helicopter the lifeboat would transfer them to shore at best possible speed to be met by ambulance whilst administering first-aid en-route. In the mean time a crew would have been placed aboard the yacht to assist the owner to proceed probably towards the nearest suitable port ( normally the lifeboat port) if this was to take some time the lifeboat would return to sea after dropping off the casuality to either escort or tow the vessel in.

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I am certain that the lifeboat crew would assist as neccessary to ensure the boat got back safely.

This scenario brings home the importance of everyone on board having some basic instruction on using the VHF ,flares etc.If the only competent person suffers a heart attack or whatever at least the crew could then summon help.

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Something similar happened to my father when he was sailing with a friend. His friend (who was skipper) had a kidney failure and had to be evacuated to hospital quickly to save his life. My father was the only remaining crew, and so the lifeboat plonked a couple of extra crew on board, and all three had a pleasant sail back to their normal berth. It was a good day with fair conditions, and it sounds like the lifeboatmen enjoyed their sail back.

<hr width=100% size=1>One day, I hope to own a real boat.
 
The lifeboat will put a crewmember on board to assist in taking the boat to port. This is what happened with me when my crew was badly hit by the boom/block and was taken off by the Sheerness lifeboat. A crewmember came on board and we put into Sheerness.
Top marks to the RNLI

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... :-) /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
 
Then it would be your turn to be concerned, your wife left alone on the boat with a couple of strapping young lifeboatmen!


<hr width=100% size=1>John
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