Longhope RNLI carries out joint exercise with NHS

Wednesday night is training night for our volunteer crew at Longhope lifeboat station, and this week was no exception. But it was an especially valuable session as we were joined by three NHS colleagues: Dr Rebecca Payne and trainee doctors Libby Doughty and Katie Hall, for a joint scenario-based exercise focused on a collaborative emergency response.

The scenario for the evening’s exercise involved a report from a member of the public who had spotted a kayaker in difficulty off the coast of South Walls. The lifeboat’s volunteer crew launched promptly and made best speed to the last known location, where they carried out an expanding square search of the area.

While searching, the crew received an update from the Coastguard advising that the kayaker had been seen near Aith Hope. The lifeboat altered course, and the Y-boat was launched to assist with the recovery. Once safely onboard, the kayaker informed the crew that his friend had fallen overboard and had not been seen since.

The Y-boat crew immediately began a shoreline search of the nearby beach. With the help of local children who joined the search, they quickly located the missing casualty, ‘Fred’, who was unconscious. He was recovered and brought back to the lifeboat where he was given immediate first aid and regained consciousness.

Fred was then placed on the stretcher and moved into the lifeboat’s cabin, where the crew worked to warm him and continue treatment during the return to the jetty, where an ambulance would have been waiting to provide further medical support.

Volunteer Coxswain, Steve Rhodes who was running the scenario said, ‘We have weekly exercises to practice procedures, navigation and drills, this Multi-Agency Scenario Based Exercise brought together many component parts. It was wonderful to see clinicians and volunteer crew working together so effectively in a realistic setting. Many thanks to NHS staff, RNLI volunteer crew, the acting survivor, fictitious Coastguard and of course not forgetting Dead Fred and the island children who helped the Y Boat crew find him.’

GP Rebecca Payne commented, ‘It was really fantastic to be able to practice handling a casualty on the lifeboat. Being able to simulate retrieving an unconscious patient from the water, starting CPR and then moving them inside for further treatment highlighted just how challenging it is to provide medical care within that environment. It’s given me a deeper level of understanding of the amazing job the lifeboat crews do.’

Trainee doctors, Libby Doughty and Katie Hall reflected, ‘The exercise that we participated in demonstrated to us the various challenges faced by the lifeboat crew. From rough seas, to small spaces to work, we were in awe by how organised and cohesive the whole exercise was. We had a great time and feel privileged to have taken part. It was a great addition to our placement on Hoy, learning about island life.’

Regular training is essential for RNLI crews to maintain the skills and confidence needed to respond effectively in emergencies, but training alongside partner agencies, like NHS teams, is especially important. These joint exercises strengthen communication, build trust, and ensure a shared understanding of roles, all of which are critical when responding to real-life incidents. In rural and remote communities like Orkney, where teamwork across services can make a vital difference, practising together helps save time, improve outcomes, and ultimately, save lives at sea.

Notes to editors

Longhope lifeboat station has been operating since 1874. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: Longhope Lifeboat Station (rnli.org)

RNLI media contacts

Vicky Mackinnon, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07703 688066, [email protected]

Natasha Rushby, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

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The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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