Person airlifted to hospital after fall on yacht near Alderney

Saturday, 30 May 2026 08:02

A person has been airlifted to hospital after reportedly suffering significant injuries on a yacht near Alderney.

Guernsey Coastguard received a Mayday call at around 11:50am yesterday (29 May) from a vessel approximately 25 miles west of Alderney.

A crew member on board reported that a crew member had fallen and sustained significant injuries, with concerns they were also suffering from a more serious underlying medical condition.

Because of communication issues, Guernsey Coastguard broadcast a Mayday Relay asking for help from nearby vessels and tasked the launch of the Alderney All Weather Lifeboat.

The French Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was also asked to deploy a rescue helicopter, given the potentially serious injuries.

A nearby vessel recovered the casualty and travelled towards Guernsey, with a rescue helicopter arriving just after 1pm to lower paramedics onto the vessel to administer treatment.

Around half-an-hour later, the casualty was transferred onto the waiting helicopter to then transfer to hospital for further treatment.

Duty Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC) Simon Granger said:

"Following receipt of the distress call, Coastguard Officers in Guernsey quickly identified the seriousness of the situation and coordinated the deployment of the most appropriate rescue assets to the scene. The response was further assisted by a nearby vessel answering the Mayday Relay and recovering the casualty, which significantly reduced the time taken to get the patient closer to hospital care.

"I would like to thank everyone involved, from the Coastguard operators managing this and several other unfolding incidents, to the crew of the assisting vessel, the Alderney Lifeboat crew, the French rescue helicopter team, and the ambulance and airport staff who assisted with the casualty transfer.

"This coordinated multi-agency response ensured the casualty reached hospital care in the quickest possible timeframe."

There are no further details on the casualty's condition.