North Berwick – Three RNLI volunteer crew members from North Berwick have received Letters of Commendation for their rescue of a family swept out to sea on 21 August 2024.

A family of five had been paddle boarding when strong offshore winds pushed them away from the coast. Two of the children reached the shore, but the youngest child and the parents who entered the water to help were carried about 800 metres from the beach and continued drifting farther out.

Beachgoers witnessed the emergency and called 999 for HM Coastguard, which paged the North Berwick Lifeboat team. Within six minutes of launching, the D-class lifeboat SUNIJO arrived at the scene.

Fraser Fulton, the volunteer helm, described the rescue as time critical, with several people in the water and winds blowing up to gale force. The crew focused on recovering the casualties safely despite the challenging conditions.

Once the family was brought back to the boathouse, crew members who had remained ashore provided casualty care until the Scottish Ambulance Service arrived. The lifeboat then returned to retrieve the paddleboards to prevent another callout.

Fulton said they do not often hear from rescued casualties, but the crew was pleased to learn that the incident did not prevent the family from returning to supervised time on the water later that summer.

Also involved in the rescue were siblings Steven and Vikki Selby, who both received Letters of Commendation. They remain on call this Christmas, prepared to leave their celebrations to respond to emergencies.

Vikki Selby said she is looking forward to Christmas with her family but will keep one eye on the sea, recalling previous Boxing Day callouts. She urged anyone planning a festive dip to check tidal and weather conditions beforehand.

RNLI lifeboats across the UK and RoI launched 119 times during the 2024 Christmas period. The organisation spent over £190M in 2024 to support its lifesaving operations, funded by public donations that provide essential equipment, training, and protective gear.

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