Record Calls To Lifeboat Crews

A record number of people were rescued in 2014 by RNLI volunteer crews in Scotland, according to the charity’s official figures released today.

There was also a large rise in people’s lives being saved by the RNLI’s 47 lifeboat stations around the Scottish coastline.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution says that 1,175 people were rescued in 2014, compared with 1,008 the previous year.

In recent years the number of rescuees has varied from 847 in 2011 to last year’s record figure.

The charity’s core mission is to save lives at sea and in 2014 there were 51 people of all ages who owe their life to the skills of volunteers.

This was a rise from 29 lives saved in 2013.

The total number of incidents (known as shouts) was 1,004, a slight rise from 995 recorded in 2013.

On one day alone last Summer two neighbouring lifeboat stations were involved in two separate incidents which resulted in the saving of nine lives, including those of two children in danger of drowning off the north east coast.

Michael Avril, the RNLI’s Community Incident Reduction Manager in Scotland, said: "The very nature of the sea means it is unpredictable and can catch out even the most competent water users.

"But it’s not just people who set out to use the water who end up in it – walkers can get caught out too as conditions can change very quickly or a trip could mean they end up in the water. We would urge people to respect the water, and never underestimate the power and strength of the sea.

"Always check tide times before taking to the water.

"Avoid areas where you could get swept off your feet in stormy weather and, if you’re visiting the coast, be sure to visit a lifeguarded beach during the summer months."

The incidents undertaken by volunteer crews which resulted in lives being saved included: "July 9, one boy and one girl saved by Fraserburgh Lifeboat Station, and seven crew from a yacht saved by Peterhead Lifeboat Station.

There were three children in Fraserburgh Bay, one made it ashore, but a girl and a boy were struggling to keep their heads out of the water in heavy swell.

They were saved from drowning by the Fraserburgh lifeboat volunteers.

Later that afternoon Aberdeen Coastguard alerted the RNLI at Peterhead that the crew of the Inchpincher yacht were in trouble after the yacht lost its mast 60 nautical miles out to sea in poor conditions.

The yacht, with six men and one woman on board, was towed back to Peterhead where one of the yacht’s crew thanked the RNLI and said that without the charity’s intervention there would have been a fatality.

December 7, An all-night operation involving firstly Lochinver lifeboat station and then Thurso lifeboat station resulted in four lives being saved from the cargo vessel Norholm during severe gales and very rough seas near Cape Wrath.

The boat, carrying live fish, was in danger of coming aground at Cape Wrath after its engine failed and when Lochinver’s volunteer crew arrived, the Norholm was less than one mile from shore.

Lochinver established a tow to the boat and Thurso later took over the tow. Lochinver spent over 11 hours at sea, and Thurso undertook 10 hours at sea.

The busiest Scottish lifeboat station was Broughty Ferry with 74 shouts, followed by Oban with 68 and Queensferry with 67.

The RNLI’s newest station in Scotland at Stonehaven, a trial station near Aberdeen, had eight shouts.

More than 40% of all shouts in Scotland were to pleasure craft. The number of fishing boats requiring help declined slightly.

Lifeboat stations spent almost 40,000 hours at sea in the year, a combination of attending incidents and carrying out crew training exercises.

The RNLI has one lifeguarded Scottish beach at Coldingham where there were 41 incidents with lifeguards helping 49 people.