Humber Rescue volunteers were tasked on the afternoon of Wednesday 21st January to a person in the water on the River Humber, in what developed into a fast-moving, multi-agency emergency response.
At 15:25, Humber Rescue was tasked by Humber Coastguard to launch following reports of an incident within the vicinity of the River Humber. A crew of four immediately launched, with the incident developing further as the casualty entered the water shortly before the lifeboat was launched.
Due to the state of the tide, what would normally be a short transit required the crew to take a longer route, doubling the time needed to reach the casualty. Coastguard Rescue Helicopter Rescue 912 was also tasked and made best speed to the location.
While the helicopter was en-route, the casualty managed to gain hold of a lifeline but could not be easily extracted to land due to the difficult location. Rescue 912 was unable to winch the casualty, but remained overhead to provide safety cover should the situation deteriorate.
Humber Rescue arrived on scene shortly afterwards and assisted the casualty safely into the lifeboat before returning at best speed to the organisation’s boathouse. The casualty was handed into the care of paramedics, described as wet and cold but not suffering from serious injuries, and was transported to hospital.
The incident involved close coordination between multiple emergency services and concluded with a positive outcome.
A Humber Rescue spokesperson said: “This incident could very easily have had a far more difficult outcome. Conditions on the river were challenging, and access to the casualty was not straightforward. Thanks to the speed of response and strong joint working between all emergency services involved, the situation was brought to a safe conclusion. We’re proud of how our volunteers responded and we wish the casualty all the very best.”