Emergency distress signal off Peterhead leads to lifeboat launch
The RNLI Peterhead Tamar Lifeboat The Misses Robertson of Kintail was requested to launch by UK Coastguard on Tuesday 6 June 2017 at 6.50 am with its volunteer crew.
The task was to search for a vessel in distress as indicated by a EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) signal received by UK Coastguard indicating a vessel in distress just off Peterhead.
An EPIRB is a device fitted to all commercial vessels which manually or automatically sends out a distress signal to a satellite after an incident, which is then received by the UK Coastguard.
No radio contact could be made with any casualty, so the lifeboat was tasked to do a radar and visual search for any vessel in distress. The lifeboat carried out an unsuccessful three hour search for any vessel which may have been in distress.
Fraserburgh Trent class lifeboat Willie and May Gall was also tasked to aid in the search. After the EPIRB signal was no longer being received, and no vessel was found to be in distress, both lifeboats were stood down at 10 am.
Peterhead lifeboat returned to its berth at 10.30 am. The sea condition was calm, the wind was ENE force 1 - 2 and visibility was poor.
Peterhead Lifeboat is always interested to hear from anyone wishing to help save lives at sea by joining the fund raising team, or the crew. If you think you have some spare time to help raise funds to save lives at sea, or you have what it takes to be a member of the lifeboat crew, then please contact us at Peterhead lifeboat station on 01779 473331
RNLI media contacts
For more information please telephone David Anderson, Peterhead RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07850 956130 or [email protected] or Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07786 668903, [email protected] , Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642946, 07771 943026, [email protected]
or contact RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789
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.
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