Annual maintenance for Flying Christine III

The St John marine ambulance, Flying Christine III, is currently out of service for routine maintenance.

The vessel, which has been in operation for 29 years, has a design life of 30 years, and during a recent survey, a gearbox failure was identified.

St John Ambulance and Rescue is moving at pace to source new parts and we are working closely with our partners to ensure that other vessels in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, can provide cover while the marine ambulance undergoes repairs.

In the meantime, St John Ambulance and Rescue will continue to provide essential emergency services to the Bailiwick islands with the support of our partners. The public’s safety and well-being remain the organisation’s highest priority.

St John Ambulance and Rescue is working on options to assess the need for the marine ambulance service to continue after 2024. This will consider the needs of the community and the availability of resources.

“We understand the importance of our marine ambulance service to the community, and we want to assure the community that we are doing everything in our power to ensure the vessel is back in service as soon as possible,” said a spokesperson for St John Ambulance and Rescue.

“We are grateful to our partners for their support during this time, and we will continue to work closely with them to provide essential emergency services.”

Further updates will be provided as the situation progresses and we apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time.

The Flying Christine III is provided by the St John Ambulance Guernsey charity, funded through a combination of donations, sponsorship, subscription and charges. It is crewed by skilled volunteers from the local marine community and operated by the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service with professional paramedic-led medical crews providing pre-hospital paramedic care and the ability to deliver advanced life support for the islands of the Bailiwick.