A WEST CUMBRIAN coastguard team took on a training exercise this week.
Whitehaven Coastguard members were on the harbourside practicing different rescue scenarios.
The scenarios involved a drowned casualty being recovered during a water rescue and a casualty falling from a height onto a boat.
Both exercises had elements of trauma and medical-related injury and illness for the team to assess and treat.
In a post on social media, Whitehaven Coastguard wrote: "Before we could stabilise and extricate the casualties, they first had to be accessed, with one scenario shown here being water-based.
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"The team undertook aspects of patient consent and capacity, patient assessment, treatment, monitoring, and handover procedures to medical professionals.
"Our thanks go to Whitehaven Sea Cadets for their support in allowing us access to one of their boats for one of the scenarios, whilst the other group worked on the beach. This gave us a more realistic environment for this scenario."
The main focus was on drowning; resuscitation and care of an unconscious and breathing casualty; and treatment of fractures; spinal injuries; and diabetes.
The coastguard team continued: "Did you know all HM Coastguard blue light vehicles around the UK carry AEDs and medical equipment, with our coastguard rescue officers trained and equipped in enhanced casualty care, covering such as but not limited to catastrophic haemorrhage; choking, basic life support, AED; packaging, evacuation, and handover; airway management, C-Spine; chest injuries, fracture management; head, spinal and eye injuries; medical emergencies; burns; drowning, hypothermia, immersion; bites and stings.
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"HM Coastguard are responsible for the initiation and coordination of civil maritime search and rescue within the UK search and rescue region.
"This includes the mobilisation, organisation, and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons either in distress at sea, or to persons at risk of injury or death on the cliffs or shoreline of the UK as well as some inland waters (for Cumbria this includes Derwentwater, Ullswater, Coniston, and Windermere)."
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