TV show features lifeboat rescue of diver

The crew from Plymouth Lifeboat Station responded to a mayday call from May last year, following reports of a diver who had surfaced unresponsive

A volunteer lifeboat crew from Devon has been featured in an episode of the BBC Two series Saving Lives at Sea.

The show, in its 10th season, follows RNLI lifesavers throughout the UK and Ireland as they respond to incidents.

The RNLI said the 10 part series featured more than 30 different lifeboat stations alongside beach lifeguards.

Thursday's episode is due to feature the crew from Plymouth Lifeboat Station responding to a mayday call from May 2024, when both of the station's lifeboats were launched following reports of a diver who had surfaced unresponsive about a mile south of the Plymouth Breakwater.

The diver was evacuated safely back to Millbay Marina on the all-weather lifeboat

The diver was evacuated safely back to Millbay Marina on the all-weather lifeboat and transferred into the care of waiting medical teams from Devon Air Ambulance Critical Care Team and two ambulances from South Western Ambulance Service.

Among those supporting the rescue were a doctor from a Dutch warship and a coastguard rescue helicopter paramedic.

Coxswain Neil Humphrey, who features in the episode, said: "It was a challenging service due to the reported condition of the casualty, the close proximity to the station and the sheer number of vessels in the area at the time, making for a very dynamic situation.

"However, with our training, teamwork, and co-operation with partnering agencies, we were able to successfully evacuate the casualty and hand them over to South Western Ambulance Service for onward care, where the casualty made a full recovery."