Berwick-upon-Tweed RNLI join in search for missing diver

On Sunday 17 October 2021 the UK Coastguard received a Mayday call from a dive boat off the Longstone Farne Island reporting a missing diver.

Both of Seahouses lifeboats launched to carry out an extensive search of the Farne Islands alongside other vessels including the dive boat.

Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 199 from Prestwick was requested to carry out a detailed search over the entire area. Coastguard Helicopter 192 from Hull joined the search so that Helicopter 199 could refuel at a local airfield.

Craster Lifeboat was requested to join in the search during the afternoon.

At 5:30pm, Amble all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch as the search was planned to continue into the night.

Both of Seahouses boats returned to station to get some rest.

Berwick-upon-Tweed all-weather lifeboat was paged at 5.42pm to head south to continue the night time search.

The extensive search continued well into the night with Amble returning to station around midnight to refuel and change crews.

Berwick’s all-weather lifeboat, left the scene at approximately 3:30am to return to station to refuel and change crews. Leaving Amble to carry on searching after returning to the search area.

Amble Lifeboat was stood down from the search at around 5:00am, hours after being at sea for over 12 hours.

Berwick's all-weather lifeboat, relaunched at 6.30am to return to the Farne Islands to continue the search and was joined by Seahouses lifeboat and a Coastguard Rescue Helicopter.

The extensive search continued to cover the whole of the Farne Islands with Berwick lifeboat being stood down around 10.45 and Seahouses shortly afterwards.

Coxswain Ally Laing said: 'It was a fantastic team effort from all at Berwick RNLI with crews spending approximately 18 hours at sea in an unfamiliar area, working along side all the other volunteer RNLI crews and search and rescue teams.

The Crew would like to thank Davey and Jackie Laidlaw of the Spittal Shop for their kind donation of pasties on Monday when the Crew returned.

RNLI Media contacts

For more information please contact Hazel Bettison, RNLI Volunteer Press Officer on: 07944 757578 or email [email protected]

Further contacts: Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Officer (North East and East) on: 07824 518641 or email [email protected]

Jim Rice, RNLI Regional Media Manager (North East and East) on: 07810 658072 or email [email protected]

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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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