THE Whitehaven Coastguard team has been in Workington conducting a training session.
The team attended the Port of Workington to undertake an exercise with the scenario being a casualty who had fallen and was trapped below deck in a space with restricted access.
Medics assessed and treated the casualty for a variety of injuries, whilst a Vertical Rope Rescue system was rigged to enable a rope rescue technician to safely extract the injured casualty.
While waiting for the casualty to be recovered above deck, other team members identified the most efficient and safe means of swiftly transferring the casualty off the ship and ashore, to a designated location they had identified for a helicopter landing site or what would have been a handover to the ambulance service.
Nathan Major, the team's station officer, said: "I'd like to thank the port staff and crew of Arklow Clan for accommodating and working alongside us for this exercise.
"This exercise required collaboration between our rescue officers, port staff, and ship's crew. It enabled us to implement our rescue skills in just one of the many challenging and technical rescue environments that we deal with.
"Exercises of this nature help us to ensure that Coastguard Rescue Teams of His Majesty's Coastguard, the UK's 999 coastal emergency service, can maintain our readiness to respond to all manner of incidents on the coastal cliffs, paths, beaches, shoreline, and waters around the UK.
"Whilst this exercise focused on casualty assessment, treatment, and evacuation via rope rescue, we are also trained, equipped, and responsible for providing a variety of capabilities including lost and missing person searches, water rescue, and rope rescue.
"For all coastal emergencies, please call 999 and ask for the coastguard or via VHF Channel 16."
Members of the public who would be interested in becoming involved with the Coastguard and live in the Whitehaven, Maryport, and Millom areas are welcome to apply during the next recruitment window.
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