Lifeboat volunteers hailed for ‘devotion’ to rescues

Volunteer lifeboat crews have been praised for their “devotion to duty” in rescuing hundreds of people last year.

RNLI lifeboats were launched 1006 times and rescued 847 mariners in 2011, making it the charity’s sixth busiest year in Scotland.

The busiest inshore lifeboat was at the Queensferry station near Edinburgh, with 62 “services” helping 117 people, including 13 people under the age of 18.

Altogether, the 45 Scottish RNLI crews spent 33,888 hours on their lifeboats, both on rescues and on exercise.

RNLI divisional inspector Paul Jennings said: “The annual statistics reveal once again the devotion to duty by our volunteer crews throughout Scotland. Apart from the shouts, the crews spend a great deal of time in exercising and improving their skills so that they are in a position to help anyone in all types of weather and situation.”