Busy couple of days for Lerwick lifeboat

15 August 2025 11:22

An orange RNLI lifeboat marked 17-17 is docked at a harbor, with buildings, masts, and a cloudy sky in the background.

The relief Severn-class all weather lifeboat 'RNLB Fraser Flyer' currently in service at the Lerwick station. Photo: RNLI Lerwick

THE LERWICK Lifeboat launched last night (Thursday) to go to the aid of a crewman on a fishing vessel east of Fair Isle.

After receiving a request from HM Coastguard to provide assistance to the 77-metre Peterhead-registered trawler, the lifeboat launched at 10.15pm.

She made good progress in calm seas, averaging around 25-knots, reaching the vessel at 11.30pm, around ten nautical miles east-north-east of Fair Isle.

A crewman on board the trawler was in need of medical attention and after two lifeboat crew had boarded the trawler, he was transferred at sea onto the lifeboat.

The lifeboat then made the return voyage, arriving in Lerwick Harbour around 1.30am where the casualty was passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The lifeboat was then refuelled and made ready for service.

This was the fourth call-out for the crew in the last 48 hours, on top of a planned crew training exercise on Thursday evening.

At around 8am on Wednesday morning, the lifeboat launched to assist a 17-metre German-registered yacht with engine trouble, as it was approaching Lerwick Harbour.

Lifeboat crew took the vessel under tow and brought the yacht safely onto a safe berth at Victoria Pier.

At 3.30pm on Wednesday, lifeboat crew launched to an incident in Scalloway Harbour, where two people were in the water.

The lifeboat crew were stood down soon after launch, when it was reported that the casualties had been recovered safely.

And at 5.30am on Thursday morning, the lifeboat crew launched to a 157-metre dive support vessel, where a crewman was in need of medical attention.

The crewman was transferred at sea onto the lifeboat around three nautical miles north-east of Bressay, then returned to Lerwick Harbour where the lifeboat was met by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Coxswain Stephen Manson said: “Our volunteer crew make themselves available 24/7 so that we can launch whenever we’re asked, and we train to keep up our crew’s skills to help save lives at sea.

“It’s been a busy few days and I’m pleased that we have been able to launch promptly to these incidents. My thanks go to our volunteer crew for their commitment – and to their families and employers for their support.”