HM Coastguard helicopter and Hartlepool RNLI help injured fisherman off East Durham coast

Hartlepool RNLI and His Majesty’s Coastguard sprang into action after being alerted to an injured crewmember of a fishing boat eight miles off the East Durham Coast just before 9am on Friday, March 22.

The emergency incident lasted more than two hours.

Hartlepool’s all weather lifeboat Betty Huntbatch launched at 9.10am and was alongside the vessel by 9.32am.

Two RNLI crewmembers went aboard and assessed and cared for the casualty.

The coastguard helicopter was also tasked to attend the incident and was winched down.

The helicopter then landed on the Town Moor whilst the coastguard paramedic dealt with the casualty.

A coastguard spokesman said they were unable to airlift the patient on board due to a large sea well which deemed it unsafe.

Instead, the injured fisherman was transferred on a stretcher from the fishing boat to the lifeboat and brought back to the Ferry Road lifeboat station where he was transferred to an ambulance and taken to hospital.

Hartlepool RNLI Coxswain Robbie Maiden said: “Once again all the training we do as volunteers paid off with a very quick response to the pagers going off, getting to sea quickly and casualty care administered to the injured fisherman.

“It was also good to work with the Coastguard helicopter crew.

“On behalf of everyone at Hartlepool RNLI we hope the injured fisherman makes a successful recovery from his injuries.”

The North East Ambulance Service was called at 11.21am.

A spokesperson said: “We dispatched a double crewed ambulance and one person was taken to North Tees Hospital.”