Kayaker rescued in “serious condition”

Sunday 15 August 2021

A kayaker was taken to the Emergency Department after being rescued from the south coast in a "serious condition".

At 11:48 on Saturday, JESCC call handlers received a 999 call from kayakers in trouble in the Petit Bot area.

Guernsey Coastguard, Guernsey Police, St John’s Ambulance Service, the St Peter Port All Weather Lifeboat and the RNLI’s Inshore Lifeboat were all dispatched to the scene.  

The Inshore Lifeboat was the first to arrive at 12:11, followed shortly afterwards by the All Weather Lifeboat.

A spokesman for Guernsey Coastguard said: “A medical assessment of the kayakers - who had been in the water for some time - was made and because of the serious condition of one of the casualties it was decided to attempt to land them ashore to the beach at Petit Bot where Ambulance and Police staff were waiting.”

However, this was not possible due to a large swell in the bay this was not possible. “The decision was then made to transfer the casualties to the All Weather Lifeboat for transportation back to St Peter Port.”

A spokesman for St John Emergency Ambulance Service said a paramedic accompanied the kayakers on the journey to St Peter Port.

On arrival at the harbour, they said one patient was transferred to the waiting road ambulance and taken onto the Emergency Department of the PEH.

Pictured top: The kayakers ran into trouble at around midday on Saturday (Credit: St John Emergency Ambulance Service).