Girvan Lifeboat launches in stormy conditions on missing persons search

This evening Monday 22 January, Girvan RNLI and were paged for immediate launch at around 18:53

Girvan RNLI's volunteer crew were mostly on station for their weekly training night, when the pagers sounded for an immediate launch.

Further information received was that our Crew and lifeboat were requested by Police Scotland to participate and assist in a missing person search around the Maidens/Culzean/Croy area further up the coast.

With this information the crew quickly kitted up and our Shannon Class all-weather lifeboat 'Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan' was soon leaving her berth, with Storm Isha leaving its remnants and inbetween this and storm Jocelyn incoming, conditions were not great.

Heading into a Force 8/9+ heavy Westerly sea with driving rain, thunder and lightning, our crew made best speed Northwards, cutting through the heavy sea that was battering them side on.

Arriving on scene, joining teams from Police Scotland and H.M. Coastguard ashore our crew carried out a shoreline/coastline search using our high powered spotlights and getting as close to the rocky shoreline as they could safely manage while being bombarded with large waves and swells.

Girvan Lifeboat completed its search with nothing untoward found by us and we remained on scene for a time, where shortly after our crew were requested to stand down, information came through to Police Scotland that the casualty had been located, also tasked to this incident as well as numerous Police resources were Coastguard Rescue teams from Ayr and Girvan

Our Lifeboat then made the testing journey back to Girvan arriving safely back around 9pm.

Girvan Lifeboat Coxwain/Mechanic said of the shout " On the back of storm Isha, conditions this evening were challenging to say the least, however we have a state of the art Shannon Class lifeboat and setting to sea on nights like these with conditions like that is a testament to the training and equipment provided by the RNLI, where our crew know exactly what to do and everyone works as one team, it's a big ask to take someone from their everyday life and ask them to set to sea on a night like this, but everyone of them did so without hesitation, ultimately our search was completed with nothing found by ourselves and we returned home safely"

Girvan lifeboat was then made ready for the next service call and our crew ready to answer the next call whenever it comes in.

Notes to Editors

Girvan has had a lifeboat station for over 150 years, Girvan operate a Shannon class all-weather Lifeboat 13-23 'Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan'

Any further information regarding this incident can be obtained from Police Scotland

RNLI MEDIA INFORMATION

Craig Sommerville, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07904622514, [email protected]

Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Tom McGuire, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland and Ireland, 00353 87 476 4436, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

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