North Berwick RNLI launch four times in 48 hours

With incidents on Friday evening (22 May) and Saturday afternoon (23 May) involving kayakers and stand up paddleboarders the volunteer crew at North Berwick were prepared for more incidents on Sunday (24 May) as the warm weather brought visitors to the local beaches, with many taking to the water on various leisure craft.

The pagers first sounded at 3.03pm after Aberdeen Coastguard received a call expressing concern for the two occupants of an inflatable kayak near the Bass Rock, one nautical mile from the shore.

With a gentle offshore wind the concern was that they may not be able to paddle back to safety. Matthew Gibbons, helm of the lifeboat said: ‘There are a range of different inflatable vessels readily available in the shops. Many of these are not suitable for use in open water, however this was a sturdily constructed vessel.’

‘It was pleasing to see that both casualties were wearing buoyancy aids and had a means of calling for help, they had also clearly read the tide times and weather forecast so were well prepared.’

‘With the two kayak paddles on board they were able to make way into the wind, so we left them to continue their voyage.’

As the volunteers were heading home having washed, refuelled and rehoused the lifeboat, the pagers sounded again (4.17pm) after a yacht was reported to be aground and listing in Gosford Bay, approximately nine nautical miles to the west of North Berwick.

Arriving on scene 25 minutes after launching, the lifeboat crew were tasked to assess the vessel, identify whether there was anyone on board, and prepare to carry out a search in case anyone had gone overboard.

Matthew Gibbons, who was in command of the lifeboat for this call out too said: ‘On arrival it was clear that the vessel was well aground on a sand bank in half a meter of water, listing at an angle due to its fin keel.’

‘As we approached we could see that the anchor had been deployed and an inflatable tender had been prepared by the two casualties on board. Thankfully there were no injuries or damage to be dealt with, and the casualties had lifejackets and a VHF radio to call for help. They were content to stay onboard to await the tide to come in and refloat the vessel from the sand’

‘Both of these call outs were reported by members of the public, we’d like to thank them for their vigilance. With the warm weather forecast to continue into next weekend we’d like to reiterate the RNLI’s safety advice: Always wear a lifejacket or buoyancy aid and carry a waterproofed means of calling for help.’

‘Before you set out to the beach or onto the water, check the weather and tides; ensure the conditions are suitable for your skills. If in doubt, don’t go out. Small un-powered inflatable craft and stand up paddleboarders should avoid offshore winds.’

‘In any coastal emergency dial 999 for the Coastguard or call them on VHF channel 16.’

More information on how to stay safe for your activity can be found here

North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team were also in attendance at both incidents.

Notes to editors

• It cost £1,360 a year to train each crew member in the lifesaving skills they need to answer the call for help
• Across the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands, RNLI lifeboat crews based out of 238 lifeboat stations helped 8,290 people and saved 272 lives as the charity’s lifeboats launched more than 9,000 times in 2025, making it the sixth-busiest year in the charity’s history. More here

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Matthew Gibbons, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI Scotland, [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]

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.