Late night call for Seahouses lifeboat to assist ambulance service on Holy Island

Seahouses RNLI responded to the sound of their pagers on Thursday, May 23 at 12.34am, when a request came in to give assistance to the North East Ambulance Service, due to the Holy Island causeway being closed by the rising tide.

In accordance with the agreed protocol, the ambulance was re-directed to Seahouses Lifeboat Station to get a paramedic to the island. He was met by the Holy Island Coastguard Rescue Team, who conveyed him to the casualty’s location, so that she could be assessed and treated.

High tide at Holy Island was at 3.21am and the causeway was closed from 1.20am until 6.30am, which did not allow sufficient time for the safe evacuation of the casualty by road.

The casualty was evacuated to Seahouses after assessment at 4.30am, with help from the Seahouses Coastguard Rescue Team to transfer the them to the awaiting ambulance to take to the Northumbria Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington

Seahouses RNLI volunteer press officer, Ian Clayton, commented: “This was yet another example of the three services, the RNLI being the charity to save lives at sea, HM Coastguard and the North East Ambulance Service all working closely together, to ensure the best outcome for the casualty. We hope she makes a speedy recovery.”

The RNLI has no further information about the casualty or her condition, other than she was believed to be a visitor on Holy Island.