Lerwick lifeboat station in campaign to reduce drowning

Respect the Water is the RNLI’s national drowning prevention campaign, aimed at halving the number of accidental coastal deaths by 2024.

Local lifeboat crew have run safety events at Shetland primary schools, and now Lerwick Lifeboat Station is working with licensed premises in the town to highlight the risks around the coast, help people avoid these risks and give advice on how to keep safe.

Publicity materials have been distributed over the past two weeks, and the next part of the local campaign takes place at the Lifeboat station on Saturday 29^th July when staff from the bars and hotels have been invited to meet some of the crew, have a tour of the station and find out more about Respect the Water and the work of the RNLI generally.

Local media are also invited to come to the event which will run from 1200 until 1400.

RNLI media contacts:

Iain Derbyshire, Lerwick Lifeboat Community Safety Officer, 07717 061107

Peter Kerr, Local Press Officer, Lerwick, 01595 693827, 07853 336596

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.