LIFEBOAT crews have joined forces for a special training exercise.
Volunteers from North Berwick and Dunbar came together last Sunday as part of a regular programme of training.
The RNLI’s D class inshore lifeboat SUNIJO (D-891), based at North Berwick, is often backed up by Dunbar’s ‘big boat’, a Trent class all weather lifeboat (ALB), John Neville Taylor (14-35), as it can carry more survivors and tow larger vessels.
Simon Cowan, helm of North Berwick Lifeboat for the exercise, said: “We work closely with Dunbar ALB on callouts where there is a need for the ALB’s specialised capabilities, or just extra crew members for a casualty care incident for example.
“There’ll nearly always be a need to transfer crew members, equipment or casualties between the two boats during an incident.
“It may seem strange, but the safest and most stable way of doing this is whilst the two boats are under way, known as a slow speed transfer.
“With a strong offshore wind, our crew had a really good exercise in keeping pace alongside the much bigger ALB in a short, sharp chop.
“There’s a reason our helmets have visors!
“We were also able to exercise transferring our rescue mannequin to and from the ALB whilst it was in a stretcher, a task requiring precise communication between the two crews.
“I’d like to thank the Dunbar volunteers for giving us the opportunity to practice these skills.”
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