The request for medical assistance from a German cargo ship led to a call for Margate's Mersey class lifeboat, Leonard Kent, on New Year's Eve 1 998 when one of the ship's crew had to be evacuated after badly breaking his leg following a fall on deck.Once ashore the casualty was accompanied to Margate hospital by some of the lifeboat crew where Accident and Emergency consultant, Alan Jones, showed more than just a passing interest in the equipment that had been used and offered some practical hints on casualty handling techniques.

Almost a year later saw the annual exercise using both the station's all-weather and inshore lifeboats, together with the Coastguard's chartered tug, Far Turbot which is stationed in the area during the Winter months. The tug carries a weighted dummy on board which is placed in a suitably inaccessible location. The theme of the exercise is casualty handling, which provides a rare opportunity for the lifeboat crew to experience working in the confines of a ship - somewhat larger than the usual leisure craft which make up the majority of the station's call outs.

On 19 December 1999, Alan Jones was invited to accompany the station's Honorary Medical Advisor, Dr Andy Dean, to see for himself the problems involved in evacuating a seriously injured person from, what can potentially be, the most inaccessible part of a ship. The weather was not kind on the day so rather than anchor, the tug's Master, Captain Dave Forster, chose to remain underway to provide a lee for the transfer of the first aid team together with Andy and Alan.

The 'casualty' had chosen the survivor's compartment deep within the bowels of the ship for his accident, instead of the usual place at the aft end of the shaft tunnel. With the propellers turning, it was not considered the safest of places purely for an exercise! It took a certain amount of ingenuity by both crews, before the very patient and speechless casualty emerged onto the tug's large aft working deck, strapped into the basket stretcher. Unfortunately the exercise had to be halted as it was not suitable for the ALB to moor alongside for the final stage of the evacuation. So instead, the opportunity was taken to give some of the tug's crew a ride in the ALB, giving the chance for both crews to gain an insight into each other's working environment.

After the social duties of exchanging a supply of Sunday papers for a box of baked warm Chelsea buns, Margate lifeboat crew returned to the ALB taking with them a consignment of last-minute Christmas cards for posting - no problem for them as there are three postmen on the crew! As for the exercise, Alan came away with a better understanding of the problems involved in such operations and a follow up training session on handling spinal injury casualties is planned with Alan in the relative comfort and stability of thelifeboat crew training room..