VOLUNTEER crew from the RNLI’s Barrow station were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat yesterday to assist in the rescue of an 11-year-old boy who had fallen and broken his leg on Piel Island.

Arrangements had been made by Holyhead Coastguard to have the boy evacuated to hospital by helicopter.

Barrow's inshore lifeboat crew were paged and the ‘Vision of Tamworth’ was launched at 2-21pm.

They quickly made their way to the island where three crew were put ashore to help stabilise the casualty.

The lifeboat then returned to the lifeboat station where four members of the Furness Coastguard team were waiting to be taken to the island. Having been transported to the island the Coastguard team made the area safe and prepared an area for the Caernarvon based Helicopter 936 to land.

The helicopter's paramedic examined the patient and with assistance from the coastguard team. The casualty was loaded onto the aircraft and flown to Furness General Hospital, Barrow, for treatment to his leg injury.