RNLI Penlee assisted an injured fisherman who required urgent medical assistance to a head injury aboard a 50ft fishing vessel.

The crew received an immediate launch request from Falmouth Coastguard at 11pm on Tuesday, August 26.

Penlee’s all-weather Severn Class Lifeboat the ‘Ivan Ellen’ under the command of coxswain Patch Harvey and seven RNLI volunteers the lifeboat launched and was alongside the vessel, which was located south east of Penlee Point, in 12 minutes.

Two RNLI volunteers, one of which was a paramedic, boarded the fishing vessel, compression bandaging was applied to stem the bleeding and he was transferred to the lifeboat and taken back to Newlyn.

Because there was no definite time given for an ambulance to take the fisherman to hospital, two RNLI volunteers drove the casualty to Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro for further treatment as he was still bleeding heavily.

Patch said: “All the hours of training paid off last night, the crew did a great job. The fisherman was known to us and we hope he recovers well.”