Dunbar RNLI volunteers come to the aid of three people on stricken motor yacht

After HM Coastguard paged for assistance at 1.45pm, the all-weather lifeboat John Neville Taylor launched from Dunbar Harbour and was on scene 30 minutes later. The family on board had been travelling from Holy Island, Northumberland, to Edinburgh as part of a round Britain trip when their propeller and rudder became entangled, leaving the vessel snared and unable to steer.

After assessing all available options, coxswain Gary Fairbairn advised the skipper how to cut his boat free before setting up a tow to bring the yacht into Dunbar Harbour.

As the lifeboat neared the harbour entrance, the crew brought the larger vessel alongside ahead of the delicate transfer through the narrow harbour entrance. The yacht was safely berthed at 4pm, with the crew none the worse for their ordeal.

It was the second call out in 48 hours and the fourth in ten days for the Dunbar volunteers and Lifeboat Operations Manager Ian Wilson said: ‘It’s been a busy and varied few days for our lifeboats and the crews have responded brilliantly, particularly today when it was wonderful to watch the skills of coxswain Gary and his crew confidently bringing two big boats through a relatively small gap into the harbour.’

If you get into trouble on the water dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.

Notes to editors

· Established in 1808, 16 years before the formation of the RNLI, Dunbar Lifeboat Station is one of the oldest in Scotland and is located on the south side of the mouth of the Firth of Forth.

· Since its formation, its volunteer crews have been honoured with 12 awards for gallantry.

· It operates two lifeboats – the Trent class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) John Neville Taylor, moored at Torness Power Station, and the D-class inshore lifeboat (ILB) David Lauder, which launches from Dunbar Harbour.

· A file photo of Dunbar’s lifeboats can be viewed here.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Douglas Wight, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI Scotland, douglas[email protected]

Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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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.

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