At 9.08am on Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December 2025), the crew pagers were activated by Belfast Coastguard requesting the launch of both lifeboats after reports of a dog in the water at Irvine harbour.
The volunteer crew attended at the lifeboat station where RNLI Shannon class all-weather lifeboat RNLB Roy Barker VI and D class inshore lifeboat ‘Sheena’ were launched to assist.
After a short passage the lifeboats arrived at Irvine along with the Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue Team.
Once alongside, the dog was located on the Big Idea side of the harbour with a member of the public who had entered the water to assist.
Both were then transferred to the opposite side of the harbour by the inshore lifeboat before and passed into the care of the Coastguard Rescue Team.
Once both were ashore, both lifeboats then returned to Troon and were made ready for service with the assistance of the shore crew.
Troon RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Jim Redmond said, ‘The RNLI offers the following safety advice for dog walkers if your dog gets into difficulty;
Keep your dog on a lead if you're close to cliff edges or the water’s edge.
If your dog goes into the water or gets stuck in mud, don’t go in after them. Move to a place where the dog could get out easily and call them – they will probably get out by themselves.
If you’re worried your dog can't get out, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
Troon lifeboat crew and management team would also like to wish all our fundraisers, supporters, retail volunteers and emergency service colleagues a very Merry Christmas.
We would also like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to stay safe over the festive period and if you do see someone in difficulty at sea or on the coast, don't put yourself into danger, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
