Delivering a safe lifting solution for a trapped seal pup
COMPANY
Lifting Gear & Safety, RNLI, RSPCA, Sea-Lift Ltd, Associated British Ports & Neath Port Talbot Council
DATE
2018
LOCATION
Port Talbot, South Wales, UK
PRODUCTs:
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Seal pup rescued using specialist lifting equipment after it becomes trapped among boulders on a South Wales coastline.
The background
The rescue was a multi-organisation operation involving Lifting Gear & Safety, from where the gantry was sourced; the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI); British Divers’ Marine Life Rescue; Sea-Lift Diving Ltd.; Associated British Ports (ABP); and Neath Port Talbot Council.
The challenge
The seal was trapped under boulders on uneven surface. The rescue team at the RSPCA required a safe lifting solution to remove boulders without harming the pup. The solution Lifting Gear & Safety recommended the use of the PORTA GANTRY system which allows for a 5000kg working load limit (WLL). The system helped rescue the seal pup, nicknamed Miracle by volunteers, by removeing boulders, originally thought to be approximately 1,000kg in weight, which was the linchpin to the whole rescue operation.
The feedback
Nick Battersby, said':
“Further to the versatility demonstrated by such a unique application, the seal pup rescue also showcased how a rapid response to an emergency or unscheduled situation can be delivered to an end user through our rental partners. It is also uplifting that the Porta-Gantry is now associated with a human-interest story that led to the rescue of a seal pup that captured the hearts of everyone involved with the project—and further afield, as local and national media covered what turned out to be a significant rescue operation.”