RNLI volunteers at North Berwick have launched the charity’s D Class inshore lifeboat, SUNIJO, three times in the past six days as the warmer weather encourages people to take to the water.
The first call out came on Sunday, May 17 at 7.16pm after a personal water craft broke just outside the fairway in North Berwick.
The casualty on the craft had all the correct equipment including a buoyancy aid, handheld VHF radio, paddle and anchor which they had deployed as the wind was blowing them offshore.
After a brief assessment the vessel was taken under tow back to shore, where debris in the fuel was found to be the cause of the engine failure.
The second call came on Friday, (May 22) at 6.16pm when Aberdeen Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received a 999 call from a kayaker in the water after their kayak had sunk underneath them leaving them in the water.
Multiple vessels responded to a Mayday call put out by HM Coastguard, including a passing yacht that recovered the casualty from the water shortly before the lifeboat arrived on scene.
The casualty was taken on board the lifeboat and assessed before being returned to shore with their craft. The casualty was wearing a buoyancy aid and had a waterproofed means of calling for help which enabled a positive outcome from this service.
The third call occurred almost 24 hours later, on Saturday (yesterday) at 6.47pm, after multiple members of the public witnessed a stand-up paddleboarder being blown out to sea in the offshore wind.
A thorough search of a large area offshore from North Berwick was conducted alongside Anstruther RNLI’s all-weather Shannon class lifeboat, the Robert and Catherine Steen.
After four hours on the water the search was suspended as night had fallen and nothing had been found.
Ricky Martin, North Berwick’s volunteer lifeboat operations manager,, said: "When the weather forecast is for good weather we always, understandably, see an increase in leisure traffic on the water.
"Anyone who is heading out to sea, for a swim or sail or to fish from a kayak must ensure they have a lifejacket or buoyancy aid and that they carry a waterproofed means of calling for help.
"Check the weather, wind direction and tide times to make sure the conditions are suitable for your plan, if in doubt, don’t go out. Stand up paddleboarders especially should avoid offshore winds which they are particularly vulnerable to.
"If you’re heading out on a power drive craft, check your engine is serviceable your fuel is fresh and charge your batteries.’
"In any coastal emergency dial 999 for the Coastguard or call them on VHF channel 16."
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