Highs and Lows of Lifeboats.

The North Sea.  The Sun and a golden beach.   Mix that with kids.

This was the moment that one of the crew, all volunteers, of the Fraserburgh Lifeboat went into the water to rescue a teenage girl.  She and others had been swimming in the sea.  They were at a part where tides, currents, all combine to prevent one from getting back to the shore, in a particular area.  Ignorant of this three of them nearly drowned.  One managed it back to shore, one had a rope thrown and the last the only way to save her was the volunteer lifeboat man going in for her.  All went to hospital with hypothermia and having ingested sea water.  All now well and came back to thank their rescuers.

Then of course there is the silly season.

Days after the dramatic event above.

 Fraserburgh Lifeboat was launched this afternoon after a report that a capsized boat had been spotted in the bay in the vicinity of Cairnbulg Beacon. They were stood down some time later when it was ascertained that it had been a false alarm with good intent and the crew returned to the lifeboat's temporary berth.

I have mentioned previously that at Cairnbulg there is a wreck, the Sovereign, been there since 1985.

 Photographed by the DP during the big storm.

Along comes a tourist who sees the wreck and contacts the Coastguard. (  If you dial 999 here you are asked, police, fire, ambulance, coastguard). 

There was apparently a three way conversation between lifeboat, coast guard and concerned tourist.  And although the lifeboat coxswain was sure it was the Sovereign the crew were all paged, dropped what they were doing/working and personned the lifeboat (there are women as well as men - hence my personned...) and zoomed off to have a look see.

Are not these volunteer Lifeboat persons magnificent.  

 
1915 Fraserburgh rescue
On the 8th August 1915 the lifeboat Lady Rothes made her first rescue. The first motorboat for Fraserburgh RNLI crew had been donated by a Titanic survivor’s father only 4 days earlier. Following a report that a submarine had been sighted near two ships some 15 miles off shore the lifeboat was launched and made a search of the area.
The lifeboat found the steamer SS Glenravel, and 14 crew on a boat nearby, who had been fired on by the submarine.  Bombs had been thrown on board, presumably to save torpedoes and shells. The 14 crew were all saved.

Next year, in August, we will have the RNLI exhibition celebrating the heroic actions of the volunteer lifeboat persons in World War 1.  The exhibition will be at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.  A great honour for us to celebrate the ongoing work of the RNLI in Fraserburgh.  There are many stories of heroism in the first world war.  Fraserburgh was chosen as one for the exhibition amongst others.  We are all very proud of being chosen and still continuing to save lives.