Harlyn Bay callout: coastguard help carry casualty from beach

A quiet Sunday afternoon at one of north Cornwall’s busiest surf beaches turned into a coordinated effort involving three teams, after a beachgoer needed medical attention and could not get off the sand on their own.

📷Credit: North Cornwall Lifeguards and Padstow CRT

What happened at Harlyn Bay

HM Coastguard Padstow was called at 1.27pm on Sunday 19 July to assist North Cornwall Lifeguards on Harlyn Beach with a casualty requiring medical attention.

When the team arrived, the casualty was already with the lifeguards, who were providing casualty care first aid. An ambulance had been requested.

📷Credit: North Cornwall Lifeguards and Padstow CRT

Getting the casualty off the beach

An RNLI lifeguard supervisor arrived to provide support. Once it was deemed safe to move the casualty, the coastguard team coordinated and carried them from the far side of the beach to the lifeguard hut, using a stretcher.

The lifeguards continued to provide casualty care and monitored the casualty’s condition, with the coastguard team supporting throughout.

📷Credit: North Cornwall Lifeguards and Padstow CRT

Handover to paramedics

A South Western Ambulance Service crew arrived on scene at 3.15pm. The paramedics received a patient handover and carried out their own observations before the coastguard team helped carry the casualty into the ambulance.

Once the casualty was in the care of the paramedics, the team was stood down.

📷Credit: North Cornwall Lifeguards and Padstow CRT

📷Credit: North Cornwall Lifeguards and Padstow CRT