An angler was airlifted to hospital after having a suspected heart attack while fishing off the Brighton coast this weekend.
The fisherman was on board the Ocean Warrior III, which runs chartered fishing trips from Newhaven, when he became unconscious for ten minutes.
The Newhaven RNLI were out on their Sunday morning exercise when they were called to the boat at about 11.10am.
The RNLB David and Elizabeth Acland lifeboat and her volunteer crew proceeded at full speed towards Ocean Warrior III, which met them halfway.
By the time they arrived, the angler had begun to come round. The volunteer crew went on board the fishing boat to assess him.
A spokesman for Newhaven Lifeboat said: “It was quickly established the sick angler needed urgent hospital treatment. A short time afterwards Coastguard rescue helicopter R104 arrived on scene and the decision was made to extricate the casualty from the stern of the fishing vessel.
“An HM Coastguard paramedic was winched down and a medical handover took place with the volunteer lifeboat crew. The sick angler was then prepared for the helicopter lift and was winched up. He was transferred to Brighton’s Royal Sussex County Hospital.
“The angling boat skipper’s quick response ensured that help reached the sick angler in the fastest possible time. Once the helicopter lift was completed, the volunteer lifeboat crew were recovered onto the main lifeboat and they returned to station.”
