Luxembourg owner CLdN has started an investigation after a crew member suffered a serious injury on a ro-ro in the UK.
The Gravesend RNLI lifeboat was asked to launch at 6.33pm local time on Wednesday by the London Coast Guard.
An injury had been reported on the 4,600-lane-metre, 17,000-dwt ro-ro Yasmine (built 2007).
The crew on board the lifeboat located the large vessel at Purfleet Deep Water Terminal, near Grays on the River Thames, the RNLI said.
Two RNLI members disembarked by climbing a fixed ladder to offer immediate aid.
Volunteer crew member Ashley Bard said: “We were first to arrive on the scene and it was clear to see the casualty was in discomfort and had an obvious fracture to their lower right leg.”
A full casualty care assessment was carried out to ensure there were no additional injuries.
The crew member had been trapped and caught in a heavy industrial-grade winch system that assists the vessel with the retrieval of mooring ropes, RNLI added.
“The pain scale was initially on the higher side and continued to increase once the casualty’s adrenalin wore off. It was at that point my fellow crew prepared the pain relief, and the pain level dropped significantly; this made the casualty more comfortable and assisted with the movement from the ship to the ambulance once it arrived on scene,” Bard added.
Tim Weekes, CLdN’s head of communication, told TradeWinds: “A seafarer was injured during undocking of the vessel Yasmine at Purfleet on Wednesday evening. The colleague was sent to hospital for treatment to a fractured ankle.”
Continuous care
“An internal investigation was opened immediately to determine the precise cause of the accident,” he added.
RNLI duty commander Liam Sidders said: “I have had the pleasure to conduct the training and development of both RNLI volunteers for this particular incident.
“It’s incredibly humbling to see how they have developed their skills and confidence during their short time with us.”
The lifeboat crew continued to provide monitoring and casualty care treatment while a briefing was held with the ambulance service.
The volunteers continued to ensure that safe and effective outcomes were achieved, the RNLI said. The lifeboat left the scene at 7.45pm.
