Troon RNLI inshore lifeboat launched after concern for paddleboarders
At 3.40pm on Sunday 20 March 2022, Belfast Coastguard received a report from members of the public on Barassie beach that 2 paddleboarders were in difficulty in the water.
With this information, Belfast Coastguard immediately paged the volunteer lifeboat crew to launch the RNLI D class inshore lifeboat
Sheena and also tasked the Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue Team who were nearby on patrol.
The crew and shore crew attended at the lifeboat station where they quickly launched the inshore lifeboat to assist. With the coastguard arriving on scene first, they spoke with the first informant who identified the paddleboarders and the inshore lifeboat was asked to liaise with them to confirm if they required any assistance.
The paddleboarders were spoken to by the lifeboat crew and they confirmed that they were not in difficulty and did not require any assistance.
With this information passed to Belfast Coastguard, the inshore lifeboat returned to station where it was made ‘ready for service.
Following the callout, Troon RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Jim Redmond said, ‘Thankfully on this occasion the paddleboarders did not require any assistance but we would always recommend to members of the public that if they see anyone at sea, or along the coast, who they think is in difficulty to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
Key facts about the RNLI
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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