Kippford RNLI assists with equipment retrieval
The volunteer crew at Kippford RNLI were paged on Friday 15th November to reports that a member of the public had spotted something in the water in Rascarrel Bay.
Pagers sounded just before 1pm on Friday afternoon after a member of the public had reported seeing what looked like a body in the water at Rascarrel Bay. The volunteer lifeboat crew quickly assembled and launched D-854 just over 10 minutes later.
Information provided to the Coastguard suggested that the object in the water was possibly a lifesize rescue dummy which had gone missing in recent weeks in the Solway Firth area. However until this was confirmed it was classed as an urgent tasking for the lifeboat and the crew made best speed to the location.
Upon arrival the Coastguard volunteers from Kirkcudbright were able to direct the lifeboat to the exact location and confirmed that the object was a rescue dummy. The crew were able to recover this to lifeboat and safely return to Kippford.
Conditions were relatively calm for the time of year with a force 2 wind and good visibility. Volunteer Helm, John Robertson, said: ‘Reports of a person in the water is always treated as our highest priority call out and we were able to get to the location quickly despite some swell as we rounded Hestan Island. It’s a relief to know that no-one was in trouble on this occasion and we were able to assist in the retrieval of this equipment.’
After returning to the boathouse the lifeboat Ronnie Sinclair was washed down, refuelled and prepared for the next service whilst the volunteers of Kippford RNLI returned to their normal Friday afternoon activities and jobs.
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, 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.