Brixham coastguard tasked the charity’s all-weather life boat, Margaret Jean at 9.40am on Sunday 5 August. A 22 year old diabetic man was experiencing chest pains and vomiting aboard a commercial fishing vessel 11 miles east of Straight Point in Lyme Bay.

Using the on-board VHF radio, a colleague of the casualty had contacted a Doctor for advice to which an “immediate evacuation” order was given. Margaret Jean was launched at 9.57am with a crew of five plus Coxswain, into moderate weather conditions with heavy rain showers.

The all-weather lifeboat reached the scene at 10.30am. One of the volunteer RNLI crew was James Searle, a paramedic who took aboard specialist equipment for the incident. James boarded the fishing vessel, assessed and transferred the casualty back to the rest of the volunteers via a stretcher.

Exmouth RNLI Coxswain, Tim Mock said:

‘The casualty was stabilised, kept comfortable and hydrated for the trip back to Exmouth marina where he was handed over to a waiting ambulance at 11.28am. The Margaret Jean then returned to station.’