MULTI-AGENCY CALLOUT FOR CASUALTY EVACUATION FROM ROTHESAY
The Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue Team was called out shortly after 6pm yesterday (Thursday) as part of a multi-agency operation to evacuate an ill patient from Rothesay.
The team, along with Senior Coastal Operations Officer Steven Muldoon, were tasked initially to Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde to rendezvous with the Scottish Ambulance Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (ScotSTAR)who were attending at the CalMac ferry terminal.
Troon All Weather Lifeboat from RNLI Troon Lifeboat was launched to proceed to Rothesay with Largs Lifeboat also put on standby to assist.
Due to poor visibility with fog encompassing large areas of the west coast, a helicopter evacuation was not possible with the team thereafter assisting the Scottish Ambulance personnel with fast passage to Rothesay via Largs Lifeboat, who were met at Rothesay by our colleagues in the Rothesay Coastguard Rescue Team.
The team has thereafter returned to Wemyess Bay to await the arrival of Troon All Weather Lifeboat who would ultimately convey the casualty and medical staff back to the mainland once the casualty was stabilised and packaged for extraction.
Shortly after 1am on Friday, Troon All Weather Lifeboat transferred the casualty and medical staff to the mainland, with the team assisting with the safe extraction of the patient from the lifeboat to an awaiting ambulance to be further conveyed to hospital.
With the casualty and medical personnel en route to hospital, the team has thereafter stood down and returned to station to repack equipment and complete the necessary paperwork prior to booking off duty and returning home.
The Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue Team is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to those in need.
We would like to extend our thanks to the staff at Caledonian MacBraynewho remained at the ferry terminal having finished for the evening to assist with the operation of the link span and providing additional support to the rescue operation.
#999Coastguard Search and Rescue – it’s what we do.
In a coastal, beach or cliff emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.