At 12:37, the pagers were activated just before a training exercise when an object, thought to be a life jacket with a light was spotted approximately 1/4 mile east of the Kessock Bridge.
Our crew, made up of an helm and 2 crew member, all casulty carers, made way at speed, whilst being watched on by the shore crew and additional crew members at the station.
In this tense situation, where search and rescue training comes into action, the pressure was really on, hence the immediate launch with 3 crew instead of 4.
On arrival at the scene, it was discovered the life jacket, was actually a Halloween decoration floating around the sea.
Doug Grant, Senior helm commented “ All is well that ends well. We’d rather a handful of false alarms than someone be lost at sea. We all seen the funny side and as you can imagine, got some stick when we returned to the station. I can’t confirm or deny rumour that I spotted it first through the binoculars, will take a while to live this one down “
The crew returned to station and made the boat ready for an organised training session.
We would always encourage anyone to call 999 and request the coastguard if they have any concerns on or near the water and we thank the public for their support in helping us to continue to save lives at sea.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
