Sunderland RNLI assist fisherman after Weaver Fish sting

[pdnich]

Lifeboat volunteers from Sunderland RNLI Lifeboat Station were called into action shortly before twelve o’clock this afternoon [Sunday, June 21st] to assist a fisherman who had suffered a reaction to being stung by a Weaver Fish when fishing five mile east of Roker Pier, Sunderland.

The rescue mission was launched after Coastguard Officers at Humber Coastguard received an emergency radio transmission from the boat reporting that a fisherman onboard was in pain and that his hand had swollen after being stung by a small fish.

Officers immediately contacted the Deputy Operations Manager at Sunderland RNLI to request the immediate launch of their Atlantic 85 Inshore lifeboat “Wolseley”. At the time of receiving the alert the RNLI volunteers were attending their annual “Lifeboat Sunday” church service at St Georges Church, Sunderland which was lead by the Station’s Lifeboat Chaplin Rev Stephen Taylor MBE in the presence of the Deputy Mayor of Sunderland Councillor Thomas Martin.

The lifeboat crew quickly located the vessel and transferred two specially trained RNLI medics onto the fishing vessel to assess the extent of the man’s illness.

Paul Nicholson, Senior Helmsman at Sunderland RNLI said “After carrying out an assessment of the fisherman’s illness our medics decided that it was necessary to transfer the fisherman to the lifeboat to get him to the shore as soon as possible to allow him to be treated by paramedics and then at the Hospital.”

Once onboard the lifeboat the fisherman [male adult from Sunderland] was given oxygen by the RNLI crews to help stabilise his condition. On arrival at Sunderland Marina the lifeboat crew were met by Paramedics who then transferred the fisherman to Sunderland Royal Hospital for further treatment.

Last year eleven RNLI volunteers based at Sunderland successfully passed the institutions new Lifeboat Medics qualification which is approved by both the UKSAR Medical Group and the British Paramedic Association.

Paul added “The hours of training that our volunteers have put into learning the new skills required to pass their RNLI medics qualification have certainly been worthwhile by being able to treat this fisherman and get him to shore to allow him to receive hospital treatment as soon as possible.”

As a registered charity the RNLI relies on voluntary donations and legacies from the public for its income.