Lerwick Lifeboat launches four times in 48 hours
RNLI Lerwick Lifeboat launched last night to go to the aid of a crewman on a fishing vessel east of Fair Isle, following three previous launches in the last two days.
A crewman on board the trawler was in need of medical attention and after two lifeboat crew had boarded the trawler, he was transferred at sea onto the lifeboat. The lifeboat then made the return voyage, arriving in Lerwick Harbour around 1.30am where the casualty was passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service. The lifeboat was then refuelled and made ready for service.
Weather conditions were good, with an air temperature of around 12 degrees Celsius and light winds, F1-2.
This was the fourth call-out for the crew in the last 48 hours – on top of a planned crew training exercise on Thursday evening.
Around 8.00am on Wednesday morning, the lifeboat launched to assist a 17-metre German-registered yacht with engine trouble, as it was approaching Lerwick Harbour. Lifeboat crew took the vessel under tow and brought the yacht safely onto a safe berth at Victoria Pier.
At 3.30pm on Wednesday, lifeboat crew launched to an incident in Scalloway Harbour, where two people were in the water. The lifeboat crew were stood down soon after launch, when it was reported that the casualties had been recovered safely.
And at 5.30am on Thursday morning, the lifeboat crew launched to a 157-metre dive support vessel, where a crewman was in need of medical attention. The crewman was transferred at sea onto the lifeboat around three nautical miles north-east of Bressay, then returned to Lerwick Harbour where the lifeboat was met by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Coxswain Stephen Manson said: “Our volunteer crew make themselves available 24/7 so that we can launch whenever we’re asked, and we train to keep up our crew’s skills to help save lives at sea. It’s been a busy few days and I’m pleased that we have been able to launch promptly to these incidents. My thanks go to our volunteer crew for their commitment – and to their families and employers for their support ”
ENDS
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