A French fisherman suffering from accidental facial injuries caused at sea was safely evacuated from the stern trawler Azur and taken on board the all weather Ivan Ellen lifeboat just off Newlyn on Tuesday evening At 6:12pm on Tuesday 31 March the crew pagers were activated by HM Coastguard Falmouth, and the volunteer crew at RNLI Penlee were put on ‘stand by’.
At 8:30 pm the same evening, with Deputy Coxswain Kenny Downing at the helm, the all-weather lifeboat Ivan Ellen launched from Newlyn and met up with the 70 foot French stern trawler Azur a mile south east of Newlyn. In calm seas, with a strong northerly wind, the injured fisherman was safely transferred between the Azur and the Ivan Ellen lifeboat.
The lifeboat crew were accompanied by Andrew Munson, local French Consul and Penlee Lifeboat Operations Manager, who was able to help with communication, offering the injured fisherman reassurance and support in his own language on the short trip back to Newlyn Harbour. On arrival he was transferred to an awaiting ambulance and taken to West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance for immediate treatment. Andrew Munson accompanied the fisherman to the hospital, remained present during his treatment and assisted with translations. The injured man has since been released and awaits repatriation to his home country for further medical treatment.
Photos – credited to RNLI/Penlee