9th August 2006 - 16.46hrs
Major Incident involving search and rescue of missing diver at St. Mary's Island
HM Coastguard paged the brigade in response to a report of
a person washed off the causeway leading to St.Mary's Island. Along with the
Brigade, Two North Tyneside Council Lifeguard Personal Water Crafts and a rigid
inflatable boat, Tynemouth all-weather Lifeboat, Cullercoats Inshore Lifeboat,
Blyth Inshore Lifeboat, Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat, a Police boat, Rescue Helicopter
131 from RAF Bolumer and Police Helicopter India 99 were involved with the search
for the missing women. At 18.10hrs, a 47-year-old Female was spotted by Brigade
members in the water 40 metres south of St.Mary's Causeway and was brought ashore
by Council Lifeguards, RNLI Crew members and Two Brigade Members. She was transferred
immediately to a waiting ambulance and a Brigade Captain performed CPR on her
on the way to the hospital. Later on that night, despite the best efforts of
all rescue and hospital staff involved, she was pronounced dead.
It later transpired that the women had been washed off the causeway while heading
to St.Mary's Island with three friends to carry out a dive. Her fellow dives
attempted to turn her air tanks on and tried to recover her to shore but were
not successful and Cullercoats Inshore Lifeboat rescued two of them from the
sea. The Brigade expresses its sympathies to the friends and family of the deceased.
Photos are courtsey of Adrian Don.
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The Brigade landrover arrives at
the scene.
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Brigade members in discussions with
other emergency service personnel.
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After the casualty was recovered,
Brigade members collected her diving gear.
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Brigade members in discussions with
other divers and a member of Northumbria Police.
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Overview of the scene with Rescue
Helicopter, Ambulance, Lifeboat and Brigade landrover all pictured.
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The Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade. Registered Charity Number 1093237
© TVLB 2008