The all-weather lifeboat at RNLI New Quay was launched on Wednesday afternoon (3 March) to the assistance of a badly injured crew member of the scallop trawler Lernia, positioned nine miles south west of the town.
The man, who had suffered a serious head injury while attempting to operate lifting gear, was attended by two of the lifeboat crew who boarded the trawler to administer first aid before he was airlifted by an RAF Valley Sea King helicopter to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.
The two RNLI crew remained on board the trawler while attempts were made to free the fouled lifting gear and allow the vessel to make its way to Fishguard. Sea conditions during the incident were moderate in an easterly force 4 wind. Scallop fishing in Cardigan Bay had resumed only two days beforehand.
New Quay Lifeboat Operations Manager, Roger Couch, commented: ‘Both volunteer lifeboat and shore crew who attended to the incident showed remarkable dedication. The boat was at sea for over eight hours and the supporting shore personnel had to be available in the meantime.’
Divers aboard the Cardigan lifeboat, which was out on exercise, were subsequently used to free the lifting gear before the trawler could return to Fishguard. The crew man made a good recovery and has now been released from hospital.
