Lifeboat dog joins search training

Flynn was with lifeboat Coxswain Ally Cerexhe who was playing the role of ‘Dave’, a dog walker who had become disorientated during a walk along the shoreline near Dunstaffnage Castle in almost pitch darkness.

In the scenario, Dave had been reported missing and his car then discovered in a carpark at SAMS.

The crew of the RNLI’s Shannon class lifeboat, The Campbell-Watson, then undertook a search of the shoreline using a powerful searchlight before locating Dave and his dog who were then brought from the foreshore to safety in the lifeboat’s XEP daughter craft.

Flynn’s co-owner, crew member and Oban RNLI Water Safety Officer, Lawrie Cerexhe, was on board the lifeboat during the exercise. She says working safely with animals is an important aspect of the lifeboat crew’s training:

“It is not unusual for lifeboats to be tasked to rescue dogs from the water, which we will always do, not least so that dog owners don’t risk themselves by entering the water.

“We have a set of protocols we follow when we rescue animals that are in distress. Although we are there to help them, dogs can often be very scared, and we can never predict how they will react.

“It wasn’t an easy exercise. First, we had to find Dave, who was dressed in black, in the darkness. Then two members of the crew had to go ashore in the small XEP daughter craft to bring Dave and his dog back to the lifeboat.

“Flynn seemed to thoroughly enjoy his eventful evening walk.”

The RNLI’s safety advice to dog walkers is, if your dog goes into the water or gets stuck in mud, don’t go in after them. Instead, move to a place where the dog can get out easily and call them – they will probably get out by themselves. If you are worried your dog can't get out, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.

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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.

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