RNLI Charles Lidbury called out to rescue upturned boat!
The RNLI Aith Lifeboat Charles Lidbury was called out at 2.57pm on Sunday 11 November, when a member of the public reported a capsized boat, just off Muckle Roe, in the north of Shetland.
The volunteer crew who attended included Ali Cameron from Kirkwall, who was standing in for Aith Coxswain Adam James while he is away on leave.
The lifeboat left the pier within a few minutes, and made way with haste to the reported area, along with the local Coastguard rescue helicopter.
Crew engineer John Robertson said that they were aware that people may be in the water, so time was of the essence.
When the lifeboat arrived on the scene, the vessel thought to be in difficulty was identified as a sailing dinghy, however the two people on board had managed to right the dinghy, and get safely back to the nearby marina in Brae.
As the dinghy and all occupants were found to be safe, the volunteer crew were then stood down.
The lifeboat crew then took the opportunity to carry out some impromptu winch training, along with the Coastguard helicopter, before returning to the lifeboat station shortly after.
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
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