Portpatrick lifeboat helps another rescue organisation celebrate in the sun
Volunteer lifeboat crew from Portpatrick RNLI have helped a neighbouring independent rescue service celebrate an important milestone.
The Port William Inshore Rescue Service (PIRSAC) held an Open Day to mark the 40th anniversary of operating an independent lifesaving service in Luce Bay and Wigtown Bay, Wigtownshire.
Portpatrick RNLI, which is more than 140 years old, took its Tamar class lifeboat John Buchanan Barr along to the celebrations on Saturday 22 June.
Robert McQueen, Portpatrick’s coxswain, said: ‘We were delighted to go along and to support our neighbouring volunteer service. Our RNLI volunteers work in partnership with PIRSAC to ensure that the public can remain safe along our coastline.
‘Their volunteers, just like ours, operate on a 24/7 365 days a year which means there is always help available if anyone finds themselves in trouble.
‘We would like to remind the public that they should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard who will then alert the most appropriate lifesaving service.’
Pic Caption: Robert McQueen, right, coxswain of Portpatrick RNLI, and volunteer second mechanic Billy McEwen, present George McKenzie, of PIRSAC, with a bottle of whisky. Picture credit Portpatrick RNLI Peter Robinson.
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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