Words by Abi Scaife
The RNLI has saved the life of a young man in Swanage.
Incredible. Tell me more.
RNLI volunteers launched a rescue mission after hearing reports of a serious medical emergency off the coast of Dorset. The man was trapped on a yacht, fighting two-metre waves in the dark.
“It was howling with wind outside and there was a big swell on. We were all surprised to hear that anybody was out sailing,” said Volunteer RNLI Swanage crew member Gav Steeden.
“When I got on board and saw the casualty, I thought I’d rarely seen a guy who looked more like he was going to die – it scared the life out of me. I had to take a deep breath and get on with it as he was seriously hurt.”
What happened next?
Gav was able to help Josh, the 20-year-old injured sailor, who was then evacuated to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with an incredibly severe concussion and kept for three days under observation.
“Gav was great; he just handled the situation really well. You could just feel his reassuring presence and that kept me calm,” said Josh. “I’m so grateful the RNLI volunteers were there to help that day – I don’t know what would have happened without them.”
The rescue will be featured in episode two of the new series of Saving Lives at Sea on BBC Two this Thursday at 8pm.
The RNLI is a charity that deploys crews of volunteers in lifeboats to save lives at sea. If you want to support them and help them save other people like Josh, you can do so by donating through their website or volunteering.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The RNLI. The RNLI is a charity saving lives at sea through lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education and flood rescue. Find out more here.
RLSS UK. A charity that builds community resilience, so everyone can enjoy being in, on and around water, safely. Learn more here.
The Lifesaving Charity. The Lifesaving Foundation is a registered Irish Charity. Their world wide research saves people from drowning. Support them here.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Good Health and Wellbeing.
