Aberdeen lifeboats rescue three paddle boarders off Aberdeen beach
Responding to multiple 999 calls from the public, at 2.33pm on Tuesday 14 March Aberdeen Coastguard requested Aberdeen’s two lifeboats to launch responding to reports of three paddleboarders being blown rapidly out to sea off Aberdeen beach near the Beach Ballroom.
The RNLI inshore and all-weather lifeboats launched seven minutes later at 2.40pm and were on the scene by 2.50pm. The lifeboat crew reported weather conditions on scene as gale force westerly winds blowing off the shore.
Three paddleboarders were quickly rescued by the inshore lifeboat (ILB) and transferred to the all-weather lifeboat (ALB) where casualty care was administered. Their boards and paddles were then also recovered.
The three casualties were returned to Aberdeen Lifeboat Station at 3.15pm and handed over to the care of waiting ambulance crew.
A spokesman for the RNLI in Aberdeen said: “The prevailing strong offshore winds, and their consequence in blowing these paddle-boarders offshore, serve to remind us all of the importance of obtaining a weather forecast and considering its implications before embarking on any leisure activity in the sea.”
Images of Aberdeen’s lifeboats at work are available at https://vimeo.com/fennelmedia/rnli and https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Anne-Scott8 where Aberdeen Lifeboat is raising funds for the essential replacement of the station’s 10 year old inshore lifeboat at a cost of £52,000
Further information from:
For RNLI: Terry McNeill, Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Aberdeen. Tel 01651 843225 (H) or 07941 329798 (M). Email [email protected]
Key facts about Aberdeen’s Lifeboats and the RNLI
Aberdeen Lifeboat Station is one of Scotland’s busiest. Crews were called out on some 50 rescues in 2016, the Station’s busiest year on record.
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 over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 100 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK.
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 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
Terry McNeill
Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Aberdeen
Tel 01651 843225 (H) or 07941 329798 (M)
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.