Fraserburgh RNLI tasked to fishing vessel taking on water
The fishing boat was making its way to Fraserburgh but its own pumps were hardly coping with the volume of water coming in. RNLI Fraserburgh Lifeboat, Willie & May Gall, was tasked at 10.30pm Wednesday 17 March by UK Coastguard to a fishing boat which was taking in water 40 miles NE of Fraserburgh
The fishing boat was making its way to Fraserburgh but its own pumps were hardly coping with the volume of water coming in.
RNLI Fraserburgh Coxswain Vic Sutherland and the volunteer crew mechanic Jason Flett, Lyndsay Palmer, Stephen Brown, Gubby Duncan, Martyn Runcie and Declan Sutherland responded immediately and the lifeboat was able to leave the harbour within minutes of being paged.
They met the fishing vessel which was steaming towards Fraserburgh around twenty eight miles out. Coxswain Sutherland manoeuvred the lifeboat next to the moving fishing boat and the crew were able to transfer another pump, hose and fuel to the vessel.
The extra pump helped and the fishing boat was able to make it back to port safely under its own steam while the lifeboat provided an escort.
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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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