Guernsey’s Marine Ambulance Commemorates 30 Years of Service

Over three decades, Guernsey’s marine ambulance, staffed by volunteers and paramedics, has answered more than 1,000 calls, encompassing diverse incidents from dramatic cliff rescues and a birth at sea to participation in a Royal pageant. The Flying Christine III marine ambulance has been jointly operated by these teams to deliver medical care to individuals who are seriously ill or severely injured, as well as to facilitate ambulance transfers among the islands. Designed similarly to a land-based ambulance, the vessel features a specialized clinical treatment zone positioned centrally and low within its structure, ensuring optimal patient comfort and an efficient workspace. According to volunteer Gary Ward, “It’s an iconic boat, to be part of this is amazing… there’s challenge but it’s something we all relish and you get a lot back from it – literally saving lives.” Mark Mapp, who serves as the chief executive officer for Guernsey’s Ambulance and Rescue Service, stated, “I’m really impressed by the vessel.” He further added, “It’s the third iteration of the Flying Christine, the actual service’s been more than 75 years and this is just one vessel in part of that journey.” The initial vessel was launched in 1952, while the third iteration bearing the same name was constructed in Guernsey by Seaward Marine, designed for a lifespan of 30 years. Earlier this year, a significant refit commenced, involving enhancements to both the vessel and its clinical amenities. Mr. Mapp commented, “She’s done really well with refurbishing and to a certain extent at the moment at a cost of £200,000.” He continued, “But that will mean she will be able to continue for at least another decade – it’s a big chunk out of our reserves currently we’ve had to invest in her.” The Flying Christine operates solely through voluntary donations, which cover the expenses for both the crew and the vessel’s upkeep, necessitating a continuous search for charitable contributions to sustain its operations. In essence, the Flying Christine is configured as an ambulance for providing medicine and medical care, making it uniquely capable of performing this role. The vessel’s crew consists of a coxswain, an engineer, and a navigator—all volunteers from the local maritime sector—who operate on an on-call rota. They are joined by a paramedic-led medical team from the Emergency Ambulance Service, equipped to deliver advanced pre-hospital care to patients who are ill or injured. Skipper Andy Lowe remarked, “The ambulance crews are the ones I feel deserve the credit. “They’re not seafarers themselves and some of the trips are pretty horrendously rough and they’ve got to get there and function.”” He recalled a particular callout, stating, “We had a baby born on board shortly after we left Sark, it was very heartwarming.” “We hadn’t been gone five minutes and the ambulance station officer, who was on the bridge, looked through the back curtain and said: ‘I think something is happening’ and the next thing we had another member onboard.” Mr. Ward, who serves as the marine operations manager, recounted a specific incident involving a man who had fallen from a cliff on the southern side of Sark, near the silver mines at Port Gorey. He explained, “We had to get in close underneath the cliffs. Conditions were OK, quite calm, and the only way of getting to the casualty was the two medics put on their dry suits and jumped over the side with a floating stretcher.” “They swam with the stretcher to the cliff edge climbed up… treated the patient, lowered them down with a rope… and then swam out with the stretcher.” “It was a good result, it was multiple injuries and it was really the only way of doing it quickly and efficiently.” Regarding his motivation for volunteering, he shared, “I’ve got this indelible memory as a kid in the 1960s fishing down the lighthouse… there was always a group of kids down there like there is today.” “Someone would say the Christine is coming out and so we would drop all our rods and run to watch her come out.” “I just remember this beautiful boat screaming out the pierheads, going out on a rescue… it was an amazing sight.” “I remember as young as I was floating a little boat in the bath and thinking one day I want to be involved in the sea – like with this boat, where we’re lucky enough to have all the experienced guys.” Tom Sauvarin, a volunteer crew member, commented, “All local boaters, it’s something to give back to the community.” “When we get called, we don’t really know, to an extent, what we’re going to – good shouts, bad shouts, challenging shouts.” “It’s a fantastic boat, I think it’s a real asset… it’s a crucial asset to Guernsey, Herm and Sark and Alderney.” “And it’s not just the islands, we also provide service to cruise ships and we go alongside pleasure boats and commercial boats as well.” Beyond its emergency responsibilities, the Flying Christine III participated in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames in 2012, sailing alongside approximately 1,000 other vessels and serving as a representative for St John and the national ambulance services. 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