Anstruther volunteer rescues his father

When Anstruther Lifeboat was paged at 0603 on Saturday morning to a small vessel with a fouled propeller, the sight of the lifeboat arriving on scene was a relief to the man aboard that help was on hand but when that help is your eldest son, it is not something you’re going to be allowed to forget in a hurry!

After finishing a night shift at and heading home for some sleep, Anstruther volunteer George Hodge was awoken by the sound of his pager. As he proceeded to the station, he had no idea his father Brian was the man in need of RNLI assistance. The D class launched within 10 minutes and proceeded to the scene where George joined his dad aboard his boat and assisted him back to the sanctuary of Anstruther harbour.

As much as George and his fellow crew members enjoyed helping Brian safely back to Anstruther, the serious nature of what the RNLI do cannot be forgotten. If you are in difficulty, please contact the Coastguard, just like Brian did and request assistance from the assets we have available.

Unlike Brian, you will not lose family bragging rights and have additional chores as payback for our help.

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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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.