An air ambulance and volunteer crew members from North Berwick RNLI were called into action yesterday after a casualty injured their leg during a dog walk on Broad Sands, near North Berwick. 

The RNLI lifeboat arrived on scene at 12.33pm to find the casualty, who had been on the beach for some time, in excruciating pain from a leg injury.

With the casualty immobile due to the pain, members of the public had pulled them up the beach ahead of the incoming tide.

The casualty had been on holiday to the Scottish Golf Open and were taking their rescue dog for a final walk along Broad Sands, the dog’s favourite beach, before returning home.

Crew members were joined by members of the Scottish Ambulance Service and along with North Berwick and Dunbar Coastguard Rescue Teams, worked together to provide pain relief, readying the casualty for transport to hospital via the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance.

Rhona Meikle, Helm of North Berwick’s RNLI Lifeboat said: “This call out shows our ability to work together with other emergency services, in order to get the casualty safely to hospital.

“Although not that remote, Broad Sands can feel a world away from safety when you can’t move due to pain. We wish the casualty all the best with their recovery.

“This incident highlights that in any coastal emergency, you should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard who can dispatch lifeboats, shore teams and helicopters to evacuate casualties from difficult locations.”

Volunteers returned to station three hours after launching and made the lifeboat ready for service.