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A kayaker has had his life saved by the RNLI and other emergency services in West Kirby.
The lifeboat crew were scrambled at 10.45am this morning after reports of a medical emergency at the marine lake.
The kayaker had collapsed and was not breathing.
Two RNLI volunteers performed CPR and a defibrillator was provided by West Kirby sailing club.
Merseyside Police, the North West Air Ambulande and the Coastguard also attended, whilst local off duty doctors stopped to provide support.
As medical care continued, the casualty began breathing again.
The casualty was subsequently transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital by ambulance where treatment continues.
Andy Brown, West Kirby RNLI Launch Authority, said: "This was a multi agency response and my thanks go out to everybody involved. This was a real collaborative team effort.
"North West Ambulance Service kindly provided feedback to the crew during our debrief, thanking the station for their professionalism, quick reactions and casualty care expertise in maintaining airways and administering CPR to a professional standard. Without this, they stated it would have been highly unlikely the casualty would have been breathing again prior to ambulance arrival and able to be transferred to hospital.
"We’d like to thank the North West Ambulance Service, Merseyside Police, HM Coastguard, North West Air Ambulance, West Kirby Sailing Club, local doctors who assisted and members of the public. This was a real community rescue, giving this casualty the best opportunity to recover.
"As ever this was a one crew effort but I would like to pay special thanks to the RNLI individuals who maintained airways and administered CPR throughout. It’s never an easy task but the volunteer crew handled this with extreme professionalism and focus. Incidents like this show that RNLI training and teamwork can make a real difference in saving lives at sea and within our community.
"We remind people that if you ever find yourself, or anybody else, in difficulty in or near the water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard."
