TEN YEARS AGO Friday July 17, 2009

Lifeboat to the aid of nuclear vessel

Campbeltown Lifeboat went to the aid of a crewmember on board a nuclear fuel transporter on Saturday morning.

The man had been taken ill on board the vessel, which was running empty, and was met at the pier by an ambulance.

Campbeltown’s Severn-class Ernest and Mary Shaw, with coxswain David Cox at the helm, was called out shortly after 9.35am to go to the ship, which was off the Mull of Kintyre on passage from Workington to Cuxhaven, Germany.

Once alongside, lifeboat crewmembers Dr Jim Leask, Alastair McPhee and Davie Reid boarded Atlantic Osprey via a 15ft climb on a pilot ladder.

Dr Leask recommended that the patient should be taken to hospital for treatment and the lifeboat crew took him off by stretcher.

The Atlantic Osprey is a multi-purpose general cargo vessel operated by international nuclear services for the nuclear decommissioning authority, which took over ownership from BNFL, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd, in 2005.

She transports used research reactor fuel and MOX fuel and is also chartered to transport non-nuclear materials.

A spokeswoman for International Nuclear Services based at Sellafield told The Courier that on this voyage Atlantic Osprey was running empty, on her way to Cuxhaven, to take part in port handling exercises in Germany.

The spokeswoman added that the crewmember was discharged from Campbeltown Hospital later that day and is now recovering at home.

‘We are extremely grateful to Campbeltown lifeboat and crew for their quick response,’ she said.