The RNLI, coastguard and ambulance service were involved in an early-morning evacuation from Rathlin Island after a 63-year-old woman dislocated her hip on Friday.
The island’s coastguard team called for assistance from the RNLI at 5.07am and a volunteer crew launched just before 5.30am onboard the Portrush all-weather lifeboat (ALB).
Volunteers faced a “bitterly cold morning and rough seas” on the 60-minute journey to Rathlin, where they were met by a district nurse and the local coastguard.
The 63-year-old woman was safely transferred to Ballycastle Harbour, where the coastguard there assisted in transferring the casualty to the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS).
Beni McAllister, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Portrush RNLI, said: “We have practiced this with the Coastguard and Rathlin Island in the past to ensure that we can cope with this type of call.”
“Although it was an early start into the dark, the experienced volunteer crew knew exactly what had to be done.
“Their casualty care training has equipped them to expertly deal with this type of injury and [were] able to administer appropriate medication to alleviate the pain of the casualty until the handover to the ambulance service was completed.
“We all send our best wishes to the casualty for a speedy recovery,” he added.
