Torbay RNLI undertakes emergency medical evacuation from ship in Tor Bay
Torbay RNLI’s volunteer crew was called to medevac a female passenger who had been taken ill on board a visiting cruise ship anchored in Tor Bay.
The 84,000 ton vessel, on a 3-day Channel Islands cruise from Southampton and with over 2,000 passengers and crew on board, had requested the medevac at around 3:15pm on Thursday 4th September. Eight Torbay RNLI volunteer crew were immediately mustered, launching the lifeboat station’s Severn-Class All-Weather Lifeboat (ALB) shortly before 3:30pm. Making for the cruise ship at speed in calm sea conditions, the ALB docked alongside the vessel’s lower embarkation point at 3:45pm.
With the help of the ship’s crew, the lifeboat crew carefully transferred the casualty, along with a member of the cruise ship’s crew, across into the lifeboat for the journey to Torquay Harbour. On arrival there at 4:25pm, paramedics from South Western Ambulance Service met the lifeboat at the quay and transferred the casualty to a waiting ambulance before taking her on to Torbay Hospital for further medical attention.
The ship’s crew member, who’d accompanied the casualty to Torquay Harbour was then taken back to the cruise ship by the lifeboat crew, with the ALB and her eight crew continuing on to the lifeboat station in Brixham Harbour. The ALB was then readied for service by 5:18pm.
The shout was one of four within a busy 24-hour period, with three other shouts seeing Torbay RNLI's Inshore Lifeboat crews tasked to shouts around the bay.
Notes to editors
Torbay RNLI station has been operating since 1866 and will celebrate its 160th anniversary in 2026. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/torbay-lifeboat-station
Picture information and credit – Torbay RNLI
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