The volunteer crew of Bembridge RNLI have been involved in the rescue of a casualty from a boat in Portsmouth Harbour following a gas explosion earlier this evening (Tuesday).
Bembridge’s All Weather Lifeboat (ALB) was tasked to launch at 16:58 to assist in the medivac of a male who had suffered burns following an explosion on his 26ft vessel, located close to Hardway Sailing Club.
Arriving on scene at around 17:20, the lifeboat crew liaised with Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 175, which had also been tasked and was circling overhead.
The ALB’s Y-boat was launched to attend to a vessel that had fired off a red flare, however, it was soon discovered it was not the casualty vessel they were looking for.
By 17:40 the casualty vessel was finally located closer inshore.
It was initially planned to winch the casualty into the helicopter for direct transfer to hospital, but difficulties in completing the winch put paid to the plan.
It was decided to recover the casualty to the awaiting ambulance using Portsmouth Coastguard Rescue Team’s mud rescue personnel, assisted by Bembridge’s Y-boat crew.
With the casualty safely en-route to hospital, the Y-boat was recovered to the All Weather Lifeboat ‘Alfred Albert Williams’, which then returned to Bembridge and was recovered by 19:15.
VIDEO: Thanks to Jon Nash
