The Flying Christine III is back in local waters following extensive refurbishment.
Since 1994, St John volunteers have manned The Flying Christine, providing paramedic care and urgent transport around Bailiwick waters.
The marine ambulance has undergone a two-phase refit to extend its operational life by 10 years.
Specialist contractors Diverse Marine completed the work in the Isle of Wight.
She to returned to service on 7 May, with a new clinical treatment area, with enhanced infection prevention and control measures and equipment storage areas.
Her navigational and communication equipment has also received an upgrade, and the outside has a new paint job following the Ambulance and Rescue colour scheme.
Its first emergency call since returning to service was on 10 May, with two separate medical cases on the island of Sark.
The CEO of Guernsey’s ambulance service, Mark Mapp says explains why they have invested in the vessel.
“We are really pleased to have the Flying Christine III back in service.
"She originally had an expected design life of 30 years, but the fibreglass hull and superstructure are in excellent condition, so having looked at all the options, we decided to carry out this refit to future-proof the vessel and we are confident that the work we have done not only brings the vessel up to date from a clinical perspective, but will also extend her working life for another decade.
“The service is part-funded through sponsorship and charitable donations, so it was important that we provided good value for money.
"A few years ago we carried out an extensive review and we considered alternative services such as helicopters, but given the geography and demographics of the islands, it was clear that extending the life of the marine ambulance was the best and most cost-effective option.”
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