
Eyemouth RNLI crew assist with rescue of local swan
Eyemouth RNLI assisted the Scottish SPCA this afternoon (Friday 12 August) in removing a fishing hook and line from one of the swans in Eyemouth.
The Harbour Master called Eyemouth RNLI Lifeboat Station at 1.20pm to request help in catching the swan, which had been spotted thrashing about in the harbour.
Two of the volunteer crew members launched the inshore lifeboat, with the Scottish SPCA officer on board. The swan had to be separated from the group of other swans to be assessed, and she was found to have a fishing hook through her beak, as well as 7-8 metres of fishing line which was tangled in seaweed.
Sam from the FMA chandlers in Eyemouth passed over some snips and pliers to cut and remove the hook and line.
The Scottish SPCA officer checked the swan and she was then released back into the harbour where she joined her partner and three signets.
The family group of swans are well known in Eyemouth as they live at the mouth of the river Eye and are often seen in the harbour.
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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 142,700 lives.
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