RNLI Kinghorn respond to a ‘Mayday’ call for a ‘man overboard’

On arrival at the scene, the volunteer crew found that the casualty had been recovered into their boat by others on board. In order to assess the casualty, one of Kinghorn RNLI’s crew transferred to their boat and quickly provided casualty care.

Speaking about the incident, RNLI Kinghorn Volunteer Crewmember, Neil Chalmers said: “Very sensibly, the casualty was wearing a lifejacket which undoubtedly helped the situation significantly. No matter how prepared you are or how experienced you are on the water, accidents can happen. Although the air temperature has been much warmer lately, the water around Scotland remains very cold and a sudden, unexpected fall into water can cause cold water shock. Ensuring you have the right equipment, as this person did, can save your life. Although this was quite a dramatic situation for the casualty, the fact that they were wearing a lifejacket made it a lot less serious than it could have been.”

After providing initial first aid to the casualty and assessing their health, the casualty was handed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.