At 11:39hr on Sunday 17 October 2021, Seahouses Lifeboat Crew were preparing to hold a Crew Hog Roast Social Event that lunchtime, when their pagers sounded for immediate launch of both lifeboats. UK Coastguard had received a Mayday distress call from a dive boat, just north of Longstone Island, reporting a missing diver. Both Lifeboats launched and joined other vessels in the area, to carry out an extensive and detailed search with Seahouses All Weather Lifeboat acting as “On Scene Commander”. Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 199 from Prestwick was also tasked, with the Maritime Coastguard Rescue Coordination Centre at Bridlington, coordinating the rescue resources. Local coastguard officers and the police were also in attendance at Seahouses Harbour.
After an extensive search, the Prestwick Rescue Helicopter 199 went to refuel at a local airfield, and the Rescue Helicopter 912 from Hull joined the search. Local charter boats and dive boats had also joined to assist the search. So far, nothing has been found, and the search will continue for the present time.
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.
