Life saved ashore by Holyhead RNLI coxswain and mechanic

Holyhead lifeboat coxswain Mark Wade and mechanic Jack Lee were at the lifeboat station on 28 August, when their lifesaving skills were called into action when a man suffered a cardiac arrest nearby.

The man made a miraculous recovery, and after some time in hospital, including two days in an induced coma in hospital, he was well enough to return to the lifeboat station on Tuesday (9 September) to say thank you.

Jonathan Whalley was manoeuvring his boat ready to go for a last sail of the season, along with a relative, when he collapsed suddenly and was unresponsive. His companion immediately started CPR and shouted for help.

A member of the public ran into the RNLI shop where a volunteer member of staff shouted for Mark and Jack, who rushed to the man’s aid, first with oxygen, and then, on realising he had suffered a cardiac event, the defibrillator that is held on the wall of the lifeboat station shop. They immediately took over CPR, along with local businessman Mark Francis, who was also at the scene.

Each man took it in turns to carry out CPR while they awaited the attendance of the Wales Ambulance helicopter and North Wales Ambulance service. Mr Whalley was unresponsive, but they persevered, using the defibrillator three times in total, before Mr Whalley showed small signs of life.

The helicopter then arrived, and the paramedic took over care, and when North Wales Ambulance arrived at the scene, Mr Whalley was taken straight to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.

He was placed into an induced coma to give him the best chance of recovery, and then fitted with a pacemaker and an internal defibrillator, before being released a few days later.

Mr Whalley was reunited with Mark and Jack at Holyhead Lifeboat Station on Monday, where he paid tribute to them and the others who helped save his life.

Speaking to all those involved in his rescue, he said:

‘I can’t thank you enough for your expertise, and if it wasn’t for your prompt action, I wouldn’t be here today. Without a doubt, I owe my life to you, and I will always be so grateful.’

‘In a way I was so incredibly lucky that it happened where it did, with people nearby who were calm and knew what to do, and with all the necessary equipment so close.’

Adding a touch of humour, Mr Whalley added:

‘I had no pain, no warning, and I don’t remember anything at all of that day. I hear it was quite exciting at the time – but obviously I wasn’t aware of it at all.’

Holyhead coxswain Mark said on Tuesday:

‘It was a privilege to see Mr Whalley back on his feet, with his wife, and in such a short time after his incident. The fact, as a station, we have the defibrillator to hand – not just for us, but also the community we serve – says it all.’

Recalling the day, he said:

‘It was a normal afternoon at the station. We’d finished an audit and were having a debrief, and we were alerted to the fact a gentleman had collapsed with suspected cardiac arrest. After dashing across, we carried out CPR straight away, and made an assessment - and requested the helicopter and any other service nearby for support.

‘We had Mark Francis from Francis Marine with us, and between us all we managed to keep the gentleman going, giving him every chance. It took three shocks from the defibrillator to bring the gentleman back to life, as when we first arrived, he was not responding with any signs of life at all.’

‘All in all, it was good day at the office, as they say, with a man’s life being saved within our community. Without the defibrillator being in place at our station, it may have been a very different outcome.'

Mechanic Jack said:

'It just goes to show that not all shouts happen at sea.’

Mark added that more crew are due to be trained in casualty care by the RNLI, adding to the many who are already trained at the station.

‘Along with the presence of the defibrillator, this will keep the station available for the community whenever help is needed.’

He added:

‘We have invited Mr Whalley and his wife along to our annual October get-together, and we look forward to seeing them both again.’

For any further information, please contact Vicki Owens, Holyhead Lifeboat Press Officer on 07531 681409, or email [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.