A Cry for Help
C 200 chamber machine packs first aid equipment, tools and other items at RNLI Lifeboat station in Rock, UK
A few months ago MULTIVAC UK received a message via Inter Foods ‘A cry for help’ from Jinx Hewitt, Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at RNLI Lifeboat station in Rock, Cornwall. It read: “Not sure if you can help us in any way. We suffer with a problem on our lifeboat, where we cannot keep some of our equipment dry and often we have to replace kit through water damage, such as first aid equipment, tools and many other items”.
The RNLI Rock Lifeboat station is situated on the beautiful North Cornwall coast at the estuary of the River Camel. It was established in 1994 due to increased incidents following the growth in water sports; water skiing, windsurfing and boating at the famous Doom Bar which is a treacherous sandbank, revered as a formidable nautical challenge that needs to be navigated with skill.
John Lakin, Managing Director MULTIVAC UK, agreed that MULTIVAC should help the charity and the Lifeboat station was notified that they would receive a new C 200 chamber machine and pouches as a donation. A date was set to deliver the machine, meet the crew and see if it was suitable for their requirements.
The MULTIVAC team arrived on a beautiful calm November afternoon to be greeted by Jinx Hewitt, the Operations Manager. Hewitt explained the problems that they have, salt water and the damp atmosphere basically get into everything that is stored on the small boat, items from medical dressings, breathing apparatus, and wraps being destroyed; on board tool kits were rusted and useless within 12 months. With the use of the chamber machine Hewitt was able to test out packaging all the items to ensure it would do the job.
As the volunteer crew and station staff were arriving to see the machine, Hewitt took the opportunity to take the MULTIVAC employees out for a spin on the lifeboat. The team were very hospitable and really made MULTIVAC feel very welcome at the RNLI. “We were proud to support a very worthy charity and we hope our donation will help them in the years to come”, says David Hadley, Chambers Product Manager at MULTIVAC UK.
