LIFEBOAT volunteers at St Bees were called to a tragic incident at the weekend which saw a man pass away in his car after a medical incident.

One crew had just been despatched on a callout on the morning of Saturday, February 19 when the volunteers who remained at the station were asked to help.

A spokesperson from St Bees RNLI said: "Just after the lifeboat launched, a member of staff from the beach café asked our shore crew at the station to help after a gentleman had collapsed in their car.

"The crew who had remained at the station, many of whom are fully-trained RNLI casualty care volunteers, quickly made their way to the casualty.

"Using their training and with the aid of a defibrillator stored at the toilet block at the beach, they performed CPR until the paramedics arrived.

"Unfortunately, our crew heard later that the gentleman had died."

Lifeboat operations manager Dick Beddows said: "Events like this prove how important the training given to our volunteers is, whether it's a problem at sea or someone needing help on land."

Earlier callout

As shore crews attended the man in his vehicle, other volunteers from St Bees RNLI were requested by Belfast Coastguard to assist Whitehaven, Maryport and Millom Coastguard and Cumbria Police with a distressed person at the water's edge at Drigg.

 

"Our crew launched and were well on the way when they received the good news that the casualty was safely back onshore," the spokesperson said.

"The crew then made their way back to the lifeboat station.

"The propeller had been damaged during the launch and with the initial situation now resolved our crew decided to replace the damaged propeller at sea with the spare one kept on board."