North Berwick RNLI public lifejacket clinic finds 52% may not have inflated

Water safety volunteers from North Berwick and Dunbar RNLI recently teamed up at East Lothian Yacht Club ahead of the 2025 sailing to hold a Lifejacket Clinic. Lifejacket Clinics are run by volunteers to help educate members of the public on lifejacket use and advise on lifejacket maintenance. This was a targeted water safety intervention as over 50% of North Berwick RNLI’s call outs occur during the summer months with recreational water users dominating these rescues.

Lifejackets are a vital piece of safety equipment for water users that research has proven can increase your chances of survival by up to four times if you’re immersed in cold water (Prof. Mike Tipton, 2012).

The team lead members of the public through checking their lifejackets with 52% (18/34) of those checked found to either have defects or out of date components that may have prevented them from inflating as expected by the wearer.

Common faults found included;

• Out of date for service; All the lifejackets checked were out of date for a service or had never been serviced. It is recommended that lifejackets are serviced annually (normal cost: £20-25).
• Out of date automatic inflation cartridges; manufacturers recommend that recreational users replace these every 2 years or by the date printed on cartridge (normal cost: £10-15).
• Rusted CO₂ cylinders leading to abrasions on bladder; an annual service will pick up rust and check bladder integrity.

A number of lifejackets presented may not have inflated at all due to manual pull cords being moved so that pulling them would not have activated the lifejacket (pictured below), or other firing mechanism issues.

Duncan Barbour, voluntary water safety officer at North Berwick RNLI said: “This was a very worth-while event, and we were pleased to see water users coming forward with their lifejackets to learn more about how to check and look after them. We’d like to thank East Lothian Yacht Club for hosting the event.”

“Lifejackets are potentially vital to saving lives at sea, so whilst it is concerning that over half of the lifejackets we checked may not have inflated as expected and a number definitely would not have inflated, it is better that users know that now, so that they can rectify the issues with a lifejacket service, before heading out on the water this season.”

The RNLI has a comprehensive web page full of information about correctly selecting, fitting and maintaining your lifejacket.

The nearest Maritime Coastguard Agency accredited lifejacket Service Centre is Edinburgh Marine Academy.

• In total volunteer crews across the UK and Ireland launched the charity's lifeboats 9,141 times in 2024, saving 437 lives (including those saved by RNLI Lifeguards).

• Running a lifesaving service comes at a cost. Over £190M was spent in 2024 by the RNLI to keep the lifesaving operation running.

• We're asking the public to take part in the Mayday Mile to help raise lifesaving funds, or to make a donation to support the RNLI's lifesavers. Visit www.RNLI.org/supportMayday for more.

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.