
North Berwick RNLI launched to investigate objects in the water
Volunteer lifeboat crew from North Berwick RNLI were called out at 4.04pm on Thursday 23 March) after golfers spotted what they believed to be an over turned yellow kayak off North Berwick.
The alarm was raised just after high water, at 5.8m had covered most of the beaches in the area. With it being a spring tide, a higher than average tide, this washed a lot of driftwood from the beach into the water. As the tide stated to flow back out, this driftwood was taken out to sea.
Golfers on North Berwick Golf Club’s 14th hole had called the Coastguard with their concerns of someone in difficulty. Evelyn M North Berwick’s D Class inshore lifeboat was quickly on scene and carried out a search of the area. North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team spoke to the golfers and directed the crew to a large piece of driftwood which looked yellow in the evening light.
As the crew were recovering the object to place it above the high tide line, the Coastguard tasked them to a potential person in the water off Yellowcraig beach. Another search was conducted with a number of items of driftwood identified and dragged above the high tide line once the crew were satisfied there was no-one in danger.
Lifeboat helm Niall Grant said: “As we were approaching the first object it looked to us to be someone in the water clinging on to a creel end. Thankfully no-one was in difficulty but we’d like to thank members of the public for their vigilance in reporting what they believed to be a genuine incident. In any coastal emergency, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”
Volunteer lifeboat crews at 46 lifeboat stations around the Scottish coast launched 1,114 times in 2022 saving 33 lives. A total of 506 lives were saved across the UK and Ireland by RNLI lifeboats and Lifeguards with 9,312 lifeboat launches.
The RNLI’s Mayday national fundraiser begins on Monday 1 May and will run for the whole month across the UK and Ireland. Supporters can help save lives at sea by doing the Mayday Mile where they are encouraged to cover a mile a day during May to fundraise for the RNLI.
Notes to editors
· Video footage is available of the incident, contact Matthew Gibbons below
· North Berwick RNLI launched 15 times in 2022, down from 26 in 2021
· For more information on the RNLI’s Mayday fundraising campaign visit RNLI.org/SupportMayday
RNLI media contacts
Matthew Gibbons, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, North Berwick, [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]
24 hour RNLI Central Press Office, 01202 336789 or email [email protected]
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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