
RNLI Longhope lifeboat first on scene at blazing fish farm barge
Longhope RNLI lifeboat volunteer crew were paged this very icy morning (Monday 8 January 2024) to attend an incident at a fish farm that was ablaze just off Lyness in Scapa Flow. They left the pier at 7:25am and arrived on scene at 7:38am.
Before approaching the fire coxswain Scott Johnson liaised with the fish farm to verify that there were no people onboard the barge and there were no inflammable liquids or gases present.
Once a safe approach was established the lifeboat crew then checked around the barge to ensure there were no hazards such as anchor lines that would impede the approach of a support vessel which was on passage to the scene with fire-fighting apparatus.
Sea conditions and visibility were good although they were working in the dark to start with. The lifeboat then stood by for about an hour until the fire was extinguished. They arrived back at station, refuelled and made ready again for service at 9.30am.
Coxswain Scott Johnson said: ‘The volunteer crew did a great job in the very icy and dark conditions. We were grateful there were no casualties involved in this rather alarming incident.’
Notes to editors
· Longhope lifeboat station has been operating since 1874. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/longhope-lifeboat-station
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