Girvan Lifeboat Called To Sunken Vessel

The crew quickly assembled at the station as it was ascertained the vessel Saltire had hung up on the jetty as the tide was dropping and had turned over onto her side. 

Girvan RNLI's all-weather lifeboat Silvia Burrell was launched soon after with crew on the lifeboat, on the jetty and crew in drysuits in the water, as the shout was only a few hundred yards from the station.

Floating debris and ropes in the immediate vicinity were removed to ensure a safer working environment, and the lifeboat then proceeded to the opposite side of the jetty from the stricken vessel. Two crew members entered the water once again and after assessment a series of ropes were attached to the Saltire and in turn attached to the winch at the front of the lifeboat.

With the vessel being winched up with the help of the lifeboat, crew members set up a further rope across the river onto the rear of Girvan Coastguard Rescue Ttem's 4x4 vehicle, which allowed the lifeboat crew to pull the vessel away from the jetty and up with the Coastguard vehicle whilst being winched upright using the lifeboat.

The Saltire was soon sitting upright once again but still had an ingress of water, so Girvan RNLI lifeboat crew set up a salvage pump and began to pump out the remaining water from the Saltire.

Once it had been pumped free from water further checks were made to the stability and condition of the vessel, where it was moved to another berth further down the jetty so it would not be affected further by the state of tide.

The vessel was secured and the lifeboat was refuelled and made ready for service again at 8pm. 

RNLI media contacts:

For more information please contact Craig Sommerville, Girvan  RNLI Lifeboat Crewmember & Press Officer, on 07411276383, 01465714454 or by email on [email protected] or [email protected]. Alternatively call Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642986, 07771 943026, or by email on [email protected] or Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07786 668903 or by email on [email protected], or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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