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Busy Saturday night at Largs RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

Largs RNLI volunteers responded to their pagers twice on Saturday evening.

Largs lifeboat launching

Bryan Wark

Largs lifeboat launching
The volunteer crew pagers sounded on Saturday 10 June 2023 at 7:14pm after HM Coastguard received reports of a female paddleboarder being blown offshore near Seamill.

Largs lifeboat launched and was quickly able to locate the casualty with the assistance of the Coastguard Rescue Team who had also been tasked to the incident and were on the shore line.

On arrival, the casualty was taken onboard the lifeboat and assessed by the volunteer crew. Cold and distressed, she was given initial casualty care by the crew and taken to the shore at Portencross. The casualty explained she had fallen into the water and although she had managed to get back onto her paddleboard, she had lost her paddle in the process.

The lifeboat was met by the Coastguard Rescue Team and the casualty was handed over into their care.

Largs lifeboat then returned to the lifeboat station at 9pm where it was cleaned, refuelled and made ready for service.

At 10:30pm, the volunteer crew pagers sounded for the second time when HM Coastguard requested Largs lifeboat be launched to a small RHIB which had experienced a mechanical failure and was drifting in Rothesay Bay.

As it was starting to get dark HM Coastguard had concerns about the safety of the two people onboard.

Largs lifeboat proceeded to the area and located the vessel as the light continued to fade. On arrival, the volunteer helm on the lifeboat assessed the situation and deemed the safest option was to tow the vessel to Rothesay Harbour.

On arrival to Rothesay Harbour the lifeboat was met by the Coastguard Rescue Team who assisted bringing the casualty vessel alongside.

At 12:45am, early on Sunday morning, Largs lifeboat returned to the lifeboat station and was again cleaned, refuelled and made ready for service.

John Griffiths, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Largs RNLI, said: ‘If you are heading out onto the water this summer please make sure you check the weather and tides, be aware of offshore winds, have a suitable lifejacket or floatation device for your activity and always carry a suitable means of calling for assistance.

‘If you get into difficulty, or spot someone else in trouble, always dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’


Notes to editors

RNLI media contacts

Claire McRae, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07738681546, [email protected]

Brian Rankin, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07810862468, [email protected]

Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

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 146,000 lives.

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