North Berwick RNLI volunteer crew launch during the night to drifting vessel

The crew were all tucked up in bed when their pages sounded calling them to attend at the lifeboat station immediately to launch Evelyn M on service.

A 999 call had been received by the coastguard reporting a vessel drifting towards Craigleith Island. The boat crew, tractor driver, shore crew and Launching Authority all attended and swiftly carried out their duties to enable a swift launch.

North Berwick Coastguard Rescue team were also in attendance, They spoke with the original informant and located another witness that had also seen the vessel drifting out of sight behind Craigleith Island.

Evelyn M carried out a patterned search for 90 minutes. The crew was stood down once it was established that the vessel had made its way safely back to shore.

Helm, Hamish Barbour said: 'It’s really good that members of the public saw something they were unsure of and called the coastguard. Absolutely the right thing to do.'

In the RNLI’s 200^th year of saving lives at sea, you can imagine how different this service would have been all those years ago. The crew would have been awoken by the firing or the maroons and would have rowed out to search the area.

At 4.05am the service was concluded and all crew returned home to bed.

In any coastal emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Notes to editors

· North Berwick lifeboat station has been operating since 1860. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: [www.rnli.org/northberwick]

RNLI media contacts

Rhona Meikle, North Berwick Lifeboat Press Officer, [email protected] 07767251923

Matthew Gibbons. North Berwick Deputy Press Officer, [email protected]

Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

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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 over 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 142,700 lives.

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 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter 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.