A 63-year-old has been evacuated off Rathlin Island after suffering a dislocated hip.
The RNLI, NI Ambulance Service and Coastguard were all scrambled to deal with the incident at 5.30am on Friday morning.
The Coastguard had requested the assistance of the RNLI’s Portrush all-weather lifeboat (ALB) to help with the medical evacuation.
The volunteer crew launched at 5.28am on what was a bitterly cold morning and dealt with rough seas for the 60-minute journey to Rathlin Island.
The patient was transferred from the island to Ballycastle Harbour for handover to the NIAS.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stock image. Picture: Belfast Telegraph
A spokesperson for the RNLI said when the ALB crew arrived at Rathlin Island, the Coastguard team and a district nurse were waiting to assist with the medevac.
Once the casualty was safely on board, the ALB made her way to Ballycastle Harbour to wait for an ambulance where they were able to transfer the casualty to the ambulance with the assistance of Ballycastle Coastguard team.
The RNLI crew then returned to Portrush at 11.20am.
Beni McAllister, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Portrush RNLI, said: “We have practised this with the Coastguard and Rathlin Island in the past to ensure that we can cope with this type of call.
“Although it was an early start into the dark, the experienced volunteer crew knew exactly what had to be done.
“Their casualty care training has equipped them to expertly deal with this type of injury and were able to administer appropriate medication to alleviate the pain of the casualty until the handover to the ambulance service was completed.
“We all send our best wishes to the casualty for a speedy recovery.”
A spokesperson for the NIAS said they received a call at 3.35am and despatched two emergency ambulances to the incident.
“Following initial assessment and treatment at scene, one patient was taken to Causeway Hospital by ambulance,” added the NIAS.