Aith RNLI attends a trawler in trouble
The Aith Lifeboat team were called out to assist a fishing vessel in the early hours of Thursday 4th June
The Aith Lifeboat team were called out to assist a fishing vessel in the early hours of Thursday 4th June. The Banff registered trawler had 5 crew onboard when it began to broadcast a mayday signal around 0500 hours, after it started to take on water through its fish hold.
Aith's Lifeboat, the RNLI Charles Lidbury, respond upon request from Shetland Coastguard officers and arrived at the scene - to the north of the island of Unst - by 0800 hours. The local search and rescue helicopter had already successfully lowered a water pump onboard the vessel, which was still able to make for port under its own steam.
The Aith Lifeboat remained on hand to safely escort the trawler as far south as the isle of Fetlar. It then passed operational control to colleagues from the Lerwick Lifeboat, the RNLI Michael and Jane Vernon, who were tasked to take over - and who continued to shadow the fishing boat's progress south to the town's harbour.
After a slow steam from its fishing grounds 37 nautical miles north of the isles, the stricken trawler safely reached the quayside in Lerwick just after 1400 hours. The RNLI team from Aith had returned to their station by 1300 hours.
Two other fishing boats also responded to the initial mayday call and provided assistance during the incident.
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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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